Double Trouble in Red and Yellow
by Katea-Nui
Summary: One of Wheeljack's secret weapons goes awry, and the Seekers find themselves in a situation they never quite expected... Parenthood.  Rating may change, but probably not.
1. Prologue

**So yes. Another rp'd story this one with the awesome Daerenys Starcatcher. *sighs* I should be hit. Hard. But bunnies breed no matter where you're at. Not to fear, everything else is still being worked on. Just... muses are dead. Except for the Feelings Series which is also going slowly but that has more to do with RL than muses dying off :1 So here's something new for you guys. ALSO there is another rp'd story with these same character's on Starcatcher's profile! It's called Of Lambos and Seekers! CHECK IT OUT! Very adulty.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this. Rating may or may not go up, but we don't plan on it.**

**Disclaimer: Not ours. If it was, bitty!twins would be real.**

**Enjoy :} **

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><p>It had started out as any battle on Earth had gone. The Decepticons raided a powerplant for energon. The Autobots showed up to stop them. Insults and witty comeback ensued. Then everyone opened fire on each other. Normal.<p>

Even Megatron's master plan and weapon backfiring was normal.

"Ha! Take that, Motorhead!" Sideswipe crowed as he watch Motormaster trip into the ravine head first. Wheeljack was trying to work on the machine they'd made it to while he and his brother provided the CEO with some cover fire. He whooped as a jet went screaming over head, his brother gripping and directing an out of control Thrust into the nearest wall and jumping off before collision. The golden warrior landed some ways away but covered the distance quickly just as Starscream and his trine landed.

"Heya, Screamer! Just in time to join the scrapheap!" The red twin taunted, leveling his blaster and firing. Sunstreaker grinned dangerously beside him, his own blaster out and firing.

"You'll eat those words, moron." Starscream promised with a hiss, powering up his null rays for a decisive shot right into that fragging red demon's faceplates.

That was quickly aborted by a random shot from Air Raid, whose laser blast knocked Stascream's arm just a tad to the right, fouling his aim. Sideswipe could feel the charge from the null ray blast travel past his head, electric and dense. He whistled inwardly; that would have /sucked/, to be knocked out cold by the Screamer in mid-battle.

Sunstreaker's expression was absolutely furious; he didn't take it well when someone attacked his twin, and Starscream was one he particularly disliked. He fired almost blindly, missing by a mile, and threw himself at the Seeker, only to hit the ground when Skywarp appeared, jerking his trineleader up and out of the way of the furious golden grounder.

"Too slow in your old age, Sunshine!" Skywarp taunted. Sunstreaker looked up through the mud that was enbedded in his optic and snarled, his hand making a very rude human gesture that had become popular among Autobot and Decepticon alike.

Wheeljack grumbled, dropping his tool for the fourth time due to Rumble's piledrivers creating a localized earth tremor near his position. The Cassetticon was grinning, knowing quite well that he was fragging with Wheeljack's plans, and the normally-nonviolent scientist narrowed his optics, his helm fins flashing orange. He picked up a long tubelike object and fired it at Rumble, and the cassette froze in place, dancing due to an electrical overload.

That taken care of, he began to work on his machine without the distraction.

"Yeah, well, you're not much younger Warpy!" Sideswipe cackled, shooting again, just as he heard a yelp and thena very distinct 'Well, that's not good.' From Wheeljack.

And that was when normal took a downturn into dangerous.

Sideswipe turned around, curious as Sunstreaker got up. Both saw the weapon beginning to spark and overheat. Wheeljack was already running away, yelling at the Twins to get the slag out of there. Sideswipe stood dumbfounded as the weapon glowed whitehot with a loud whine. Sunstreaker rushed his twin, snarling at him to get down.

Several things happened at once.

Sunstreaker tackled his older twin to the ground, just as the large peice of machinery made a 'click' sound. The Seekers took to the air. And the weapon imploded on itself, the white light of the blast encompassing twenty to thirty feet around it. Including the Twins.

"Frag, I /hate/ it when that happens." Wheeljack said solemnly, a slightly pinkish glow from his fins indicating embarrassment. Smoke rose from the remains of the machine, and the air finally cleared around where the Twins were.

He hoped they were okay, and also hoped, for once, that his machine did /not/ work as intended. That would have been... Bad. Yes, bad was a good word for it.

He swore under his breath when he saw two very small, very afraid-looking beings were the ex-gladiators once were. The red one was clinging to the golden one, whose shoulders had begun to shake. He was silent, though, as though he were protecting his crimson brother at all costs. Even through the silent sobs, his expression was fierce...as fierce as a little mechling's could be.

Then chaos ensued. In the sky, two sets of three streaked toward the little ones, Starscream's trine easily outpacing Dirge, who cursed loudly over open comm. Starscream scooped up the sparklings and took off straight into the sky, leaving a group of /very/ confused and dumbfounded mechs on both sides standing there, staring at the empty place where the twins used to be.

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><p>Sideswipe wailed, reaching for his hiccupping brother who was held in the other arm of the stranger with wings. He didn't know where they were. Or what was going on. He just knew that they had been stuck in a fight moments ago and were now in the sky with a stranger and his brother was over there/! Sunstreaker, for his part, stifled his terrified sobs with hiccups from his vocalizer as he reached for his brother as well.

"Give me, Sides!" He shouted over the wind, hitting at the stranger. "Give him!"

Starscream made absent clicking noises at the younglings, not thinking that they'd be /highly/ unlikely to understand Seeker cant. The sounds were supposed to be soothing, but by the wriggling of the little red one in his arms, it wasn't working.

"Calm down. We'll be somewhere safe soon." he said, cursing his programming.

Skywarp struggled with the golden one, who had bitten him on the hand in an effort to get closer to his twin. "Fragging slagging Pit-spawn demon-child!" he swore, but he still held on tightly as they flew back to the command tower of the Nemesis. Thundercracker flew near them, watching closely to ensure nobody fell...and it was he who pinged the control tower, demanding immediate entrance.

By the time they got in and landed properly, the little red mechling was wailing loudly, and the golden one wasn't speaking at all. He scowled at everyone and everything, waiting until Skywarp placed him on the ground. When he did, he ran over to Starscream and kicked him in the shin, glaring up."

"My brother. Down, /now/." he said insistently.

Starscream glared down at the yellow sparkling. "We don't kick." He said slowly. Really, what the frag was going on here? Not a few kliks ago they'd just been firing at these little demons... Well, they'd been big demons at the time, but that was beside the point.

The tri-colored seeker set the red twin down and he immediately buried himself into his brother's arms and stifled his crying in a black shoulder. Sunstreaker continued glaring up at all the adults even as he stood there shaking with tears still wetting his face.

"Fragger!" He shouted. "Go away!"

Thundercracker raised an optic ridge at the youngling's language, and felt compelled to say, "We don't use the word 'frag' either, little one." Skywarp snerked loudly at this; apparently, /he/ felt no such aversion.

Several other Decepticons walked by...or tried to walk by, stopping dead in their tracks when they saw miniature frontliner twins glaring up at the command trine.

Hook stopped...glanced downward, looked up at the Seekers, and cleared his intakes. "I suppose you'll be needing me to check them over." he said stiffly, not looking forward to having them in his repair bay.

"Yes, yes...just /give us a moment/, all right?" Starscream said waspishly. "I'm rather /busy/, if you can't tell!"

Hook stalked off in a huff, leaving the Seekers to their new charges.

"We won't be going away. What are your names?" Thundercracker asked, receiving only twin dirty looks in response.

"Sideswipe and Sunstreaker." Starscream declared. Without thinking, the two looked up. "Welcome to your new home."

"No!" Both Twins shouted in unison.

They didn't like it here already. It was big, it was scary and there were so many big mechs around that made them feel so small.

Sideswipe clung tighter to Sideswipe. "Sunny..." He whimpered quietly. "Wanna go back to the hole..."

Sunstreaker held his brother just as tightly when the purple and black seeker crouched in front of them, a thoughtful finger on his chin. "Ya know, this small they're kinda cute."

Starscream snorted loudly. "Whatever. Grab them and let's get them further inside before they get stepped on."

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><p><strong>I DEMAND REVIEWS TO FEED TO DS! RAH! Plus, will love you forever.<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

**New chapter quickly cause we're strikin' while the iron is hot. Fun chapter this one. You get quite a few big secrets right off the bat! We're putting a lot of thought into this story! Round of applause for Daerenys Starcatcher! She's amazing! And fun to work with :3**

**Disclaimer: Still not ours. But some of our dreams are coming true!**

**Enjoy~ **

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><p>The twins remained recalcitrant, though at least the physical violence had stopped. Starscream carried them both, as they refused to let go of each other, to their shared quarters on the Nemesis.<p>

No sooner had he arrived and deposited the squirming sparklings on the floor, he received a comm from Megatron.

::_Report to the briefing room. Now. I expect a **very** good explanation._::

Starscream rolled his optics and gestured to Skywarp. "You have sitting detail; i have to go try and explain this slag to our _gloriou_s leader." his wings flicked and he exited the room, leaving Skywarp and TC alone with the angry twins.

Starscream paused outside the command center, gathering his thoughts before he strutted in, chin high and sneer on his beautiful faceplates. "You called for me, Oh _mighty_ Megatron?"

The silver tyrant was sat on his throne, getting an arm wound tended to by Hook. He glared at his Second in Command, denta bared in an unamused snarl. "I am not in the mood for your insubordination, Starscream."

*Tough slag.* Starscream thought to himself, before looking to ensure that Soundwave wasn't nearby to pick up that little tidbit. "I wouldn't _dream_ of it, my Lord. What brings you to call me here, even while you're being tended by medstaff?" He barely gave Hook a glance; the Constructicons were _far_ from his favorite team, as they refused to listen to him unless strictly necessary.

"Explain what you brought back here, you insolent fool." Megatron might have been war-hungry, he certainly wasn't the best planner in the universe...but he was far from stupid, and Starscream knew it.

"There was...a weapons malfunction. On the Autobot side." Starscream snapped. "What its original effect was supposed to be, I couldn't tell you, but the result is that the damnable frontliners Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were rendered into sparklings. Sparklings, I might add, with no memory of their time with the Autobrats."

Megatron's optics flickered. "Go on."

"They are fierce warriors...even you and _I_ can admit that, don't you agree?" He didn't wait for the agreement or denial, he just moved on. "Seeker programming includes an intense drive to protect and nuture younglings. It's not our choice." he spat. "If my trine raises them...raises them to be /good/ Decepticons..."

Despite himself, the Decepticon Leader looked... intrigued. "I see." He said, optics glinting. "You make a compelling argument." He frowned. "But I will not sacrifice half of my air fleet here on earth to watch over _sparklings_."

Starscream smirked. "I'm sure we can work something out, My Leige."

Megatron sat back, in thought. He was weighing the pros and cons of this. On the one hand, he had two of the Autobot's most dangerous warriors confined here as helpless sparklings. It would be no trouble at all to be done with them. But... If they could have that kind of power for themselves it would be a great help. But there was also the matter of the vorns it would take for them to grow into capable warriors. Or that during said vorns, the Autobots would more than likely be trying to take them back.

He gnashed his denta.

"Yes, you make a compelling argument Starscream. But I am still completely unconvinced. The trouble seems far more than the benefits."

Starscream was _not_ going to allow Megatron to harm these sparklings, over his dead, smoking, slagged up frame.

"I am _also_ going to study the effect used on them. If I can find a way to accelerate their development, then I will use that, in conjunction with my careful indoctrination program." Starscream said pompously.

Megatron knew that his SIC was a scientist as well as a warrior; that was part of the reason he still put up with the insubordinate pain in his aft. He rolled the idea around in his meta, and finally, he nodded.

"You have permission to study them and raise them...but you have a time limit. One Earth year. If you have no definitive results by then, then they will be disposed of as drains to the Decepticon army. In addition, you will ensure that their care does not interfere too much with normal duties. Is that clear, Starscream?"

Starscream nodded, his wings flaring out wide at the thought of 'disposing' of _sparklings_ as if they were garbage. "It is, Lord Megatron."

"Get out of my sight."

Starscream scowled, but bowed slightly before turning on his heel and marching out of the command center.

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><p>"Nooooo!" Sunstreaker screamed, scrabbling away from the hand that had reached behind the terminal he and his brother had shoved himself behind. They pressed further into the wall corner. Skywarp, for his part, winced at the audial shattering sparkling screech. He pulled back, audials ringing.<p>

"Owww... Little brat!"

"Skywarp. That is NOT productive." Thundercracker snapped, his wings twitching slightly.

"Frag it isn't, my audials are ringing?"

"And they ring every time you and-" Thundercracker clapped a hand over his mouth; you don't talk like that in front of little ones.

Skywarp LAUGHED, long and hard. This made Sideswipe look up at the funny Seeker, and he poked Sunny. "Glitched." Sunny nodded firmly.

"Am not, you little-"

"_What_ happened in here? Can you two not take care of two tiny mechlings while I am out?" Starscream said, exasperated.

"Everything is under control, Starscream." Thundercracker said through clenched denta, reaching down to retrieve the twins by an arm each.

"OWOWOWOW!" Sides screeched, and Sunny tried to kick TC and wriggle out of his grasp.

Thundercracker growled, and as soon as he had pulled them out far enough, he siezed the scruffs bars on their collars and hefted them into the air. Sunstreaker immediately curled into a tight protective ball, little sniffles leaving the miserable youngling. Sideswipe hung there limply, playing dead in a sense. It had worked before. And he'd only come out with a small crack in his foot.

Skywarp wilted from his ire at the pathetic side, rubbing one of his audios still.

"Afts! Why am I trined with a pair of ignorant _afts_?" Starscream whacked each of his trinemates upside the back of the helm in turn, glaring.

"You are _scaring_ them half to death. You are likely _hurting_ both of them, Thundercracker." At this, TC wrapped an arm around each, letting go of the collar fairings.

Sideswipe almost snuggled close, then caught sight of his twin still curled up, trying not to touch the blue Seeker, so he did the same, a scowl on his little face.

"Don't like you, let go, let go!" he said.

Starscream rubbed his forehead as if a massive processor-ache was coming on. This was going to be a _very_ long year.

He sighed and took the twins with surprisingly gentle arms. He cooed at them, rocking softly and slowly coaxing them from their tightly curled balls. Sideswipe was first although he remained stiff and watchful. Sunstreaker took a bit more patience and even then he continued to shake and tremble, optics turned down.

"There." Starscream said softly. "Was that so hard?"

The younglings remained silent, although it was obvious that the rocking was having an unintended, but very welcomed effect. It had been a long hour for such small Cybertronians and they'd done a lot of crying and being scared. They didn't mean to, but they curled into the red and white plating, each falling asleep.

Skywarp kept his tones relatively soft, because he _really_ didn't want to hear that shriek again. "You have a knack for this, don't you?"

Starscream nodded, laying the twins down on Thundercracker' berth very gently, so as to not wake them. "I've had...practice. Not recently, but I have."

"Starscream used to take care of his creator's second mate's little ones, when they had to go away." Thundercracker offered. He'd known Starscream far longer than Skywarp had; they'd virtually grown up together.

"Shut up, you two, or they'll wake up!" Starscream hissed. "Over here." The Command Trine had larger than usual quarters, not only because there were three of them, but because of their rank. Starscream dragged his trinemates over to the far end of the room so that they could discuss matters.

"We have one Earth year to civilize these younglings into something resembling Decepticon warriors. I had to promise Old Bucket Head that I'd attempt to age them artificially, or else he'd have 'disposed' of them." Starscream finished, rather bitterly.

"Disposed. Surely you don't mean-" Skywarp's optics flew open wide.

"Yes, it's exactly what you mean. They are a drain on the Empire's resources."

"But... They're _sparklings_!" Skywarp hissed. "Or just barely out of sparklinghood!"

"Megatron doesn't care!" Starscream hissed back. "He wants warriors and he wants them as soon as he can get them or he wants them gone!"

Thundercracker looked disgusted. "Artificially aging them. That's... That's just not..." There were no words for it. "Surely we can do something else!"

"If you have any other ideas, I'm all audio." The tricolored Seeker's gaze shifted back to the two little groundlings. He was caught in an odd moment. These were two of the Autobot's most feared warriors. Or they had been. And they'd been shooting at each other a mere hour ago...

"Hard to believe they were trying to kill us today..." Skywarp murmured. "They're so tiny now. They didn't even reach my knee!"

"They're cute." Thundercracker admitted quietly, looking at their recharging forms. "They are on _my_ berth, though. Where am_ I_ going to recharge?"

Skywarp looked at his trinemate and opened his mouth.

And Starscream shut it for him, clapping his hand over it. Ruby optics flashed in equal parts annoyance and humor, and Skywarp peeled Starscream's hand away.

"Yeah, yeah." Skywarp grumbled. "We'll figure something out. They need a proper berth, though. It's cold on the floor..." He looked shocked at himself, to be saying that. Skywarp was extremely selfish by nature, and tended to be rather uncaring about anyone but himself.

Starscream and Thundercracker gave him odd looks. Skywarp scowled until they looked away.

"How old are they, do you think?" Thundercracker asked at large. "And do you think they remember anything?"

Starscream shook his helm. "Not at all. They're memory cortex's are going to be too small and underdeveloped now to hold all those memories. My guess is that they only have the memories of everything that happened up to this age. As for their ages... maybe 24 vorns."

"Primus. Why so young?" The blue Seeker looked at them again.

"Why does that crackpot scientist do anything?" Starscream asked disdainfully.

"Cuz he can." Skywarp offered. "Bet he was aiming for Megsy, or one of us. Dumbaft."

"They're likely to run if they think they can get out." Starscream cautioned. I suggest locking the doors before we all go into recharge, or else we'll have a pair of twins running loose. Primus alone knows what they'd get into."

Sideswipe rolled over, a small cry coming from his lips. Three helms turned automatically to see what was the matter; finding nothing, they returned to their conversation.

"Thundercracker, berth with Skywarp." Skywarp grumbled some, but eventually nodded. "We should get some rest."

Starscream pinged the room with the command to turn off the lights, and a few moments later, a piercing shriek rent the air.

"Sides! Sides! Where's the light? No dark!"

Thundercracker tumbled off the edge of the berth in surprise as Skywarp shot up to slam his hands over his audials again. Starscream had the lights on again immediately, sparing only enough time to be grateful that their quarters were soundproofed before rushing over to see what the matter was.

Sunstreaker was a sobbing mess, faceplates scrunched in distress as his brother clung to him, crying again as well. Sunstreaker had his optics shuttered tight, wailing into his brother's chest, and Sideswipe turned watery optics up to Starscream the blurry image of the winged flier all he recognized. He flung a tiny arm out, equally tiny fingers curling over Starscream's index finger and grasping tight. The other arm held his brother securely to him.

"No go. No go kali!" The little mech hiccupped, red chassis jumping with each hiccup. "Sunny's scared!"

"...why are you..." Starscream trailed off, while Skywarp managed to snicker lightly. Starscream grabbed Sunstreaker and held him against his cockpit, an odd whistle coming from his vocaliser. It leveled into a quiet trill, as Starscream cradled the terrified youngling until the sobs levelled off into something more manageable.

"He thinks you're his carrier." Thundercracker said. "Which means..." He pondered, "That these twins have had close contact with a Seeker at one point in their young lives."

"A caretaker, perhaps." Starscream said flatly, stroking a little helm. Sideswipe's vision was still unclear, he held on tightly to Starscream's finger as if it were a lifeline.

"Up. Kaliiii...up!" he demanded.

And so Starscream ended up with a lap full of twins, comfortably resting.

It took some time of cooing, trilling and rocking for the twins to fall into recharge again, but Starscream managed it with some relief. However, neither twin relinquished their grips and Starscream was forced to carry them to his berth and lay down with them tucked into either of his sides.

Looks like Thundercracker got his berth after all.

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><p>Sideswipe woke up, and it felt weird. The air smelled funny, and the warm body next to his was way too big to be Sunny's.<p>

It was that weird flying guy from yesterday. He was nice, though...Sideswipe shook his head. They had to get out of here.

He carefully, carefully slipped down and around to where his twin lay recharging, and tapped him on the arm, squinching his optics really hard to talk the special way.

::_Sunny. Up. Gotta get OUT of here_.:: he thought, very hard. He added a tap to his twin's arm; sometimes the special talk didn't always work.

Pale blue optics flew open and Sunstreaker jerked away, making Starscream stir just a bit in his recharge. "Sssshhhhh!" Sides said. "C'mon!"

Sunstreaker nodded in the dim light that they'd left on after last night's debacle, and the twins slid off the berth, holding hands.

It was mostly quiet, the sound of the weird fliers' recharge systems powering their sleep filling the room and not much else. The Twins glances around. Sunstreaker clung to his brother.

"Where?" He whispered, optics falling tensely on the purple flier as he suddenly flopped over with a grumble, one arm dangling over the side of the berth and face presssed against the very edge make one cheek look fat. Sunstreaker stifled a giggle.

Sideswipe glanced around the room, the blue mech on his berth lying on his back and perfectly still. Aside from the occasional wing twitch. "There!" He pointed to the door, pulling his brother to it. "Come on, Sunny. Gotta climb."

Sunstreaker made a face. "Nuh uh. I'll get scratches."

"Not now, Sunny!"

"But I dun wanna!"

"Fine! You climb me!"

This seemed far more acceptable to the younger twin and he quickly clambered up on his brother's shoulders, reaching for the door panel. They were still too short. His fingers only grazed the edge.

"Slag!" He cursed, quite loudly before clapping a hand over his mouth and glancing back.

The Seekers did not move at the exclamation, so Sunny screwed up his face and jumped just a little, trying to slap the door panel...and missed, landing hard on the floor with a loud clunk.

Crimson optics watched this and their owner laughed softly, as his trinemates could literally recharge through a bomb dropping on the ship (they had, at the beginning of the war).

"Nice try, little ones. Now, back to the berth." Starscream said an odd smile on his dark face.

Both twins startled and Sideswipe, whirled from trying to help his brother up, to stare in fearful surprise. In consequence, Sunstreaker fell back on his aft again and cursed once more, giving his brother a dirty look before turning it on the Seeker. "No." He said petulantly.

Starscream raised an optic ridge, sitting up. "I am afraid you don't have a choice, sparkling. It is the offcycle. Therefore, it is time to recharge."

Sunstreaker shook his helm, standing and crossing his arms. "Nu uh. Dun like you!"

"You don't have to like me. You _do_ have to listen to me. You won't like me any more when I'm upset." Starscream explained calmly. He was going to be slow and worn out, if they didn't get back into recharge soon...

"Frag off." Sunny said, glaring.

"I am going to wash your mouth out with cleanser if you don't stop cursing like that." Starscream said.

"Ha!" That was Sideswipe, sticking his glossa out. "Not tired."

"Get on this berth _now_." Starscream ordered, his patience held in check only by those damnable programming strictures.

"No!" Sunstreaker shouted and when Starscream stood up with a growl, both twins darted away to various parts of the room.

Sunstreaker was faster slightly and had made it back to the terminal, worming his small golden frame underneath and to the back. Sideswipe raced and dove underneath the mess that was under Skywarp's berth, finding a box and crawling behind it, pressing himself to the wall.

"You little pitspawns!" Starscream shrieked. And that did wake up his trinemates.

"Slaggit, Star, can you _not_ wake us up by slagging the sparklings? Really?" Skywarp virtually whined, his optics dim from being forcibly awakened.

"I am _not_ slagging the..."

"Is!" a little voice cried. "He beat me up!" Sideswipe yelled from under Skywarp's berth.

"I most certainly did not-"

"Starscream, you _wouldn't_." TC said reproachfully. "They're just _younglings!_"

"_**I DIDN'T HIT HIM**_." Starscream screeched, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Wow." Sunstreaker said from behind the console. "Yells lounder'n me."

A laughing noise could be heard beneath Skywarp's berth, along with a twitching foot. Skywarp reached down and yanked, but not too hard, pulling the red twin out and up onto the berth before he knew what hit him. The violet seeker smirked.

"If you go to recharge like you're s'posed to, I'll show you somethin' awesome when we get up for day cycle."

Despite himself, Sideswipe was curious. "What?"

"I can go from here to there without walking, and I'll take you with me."

"Me _AND_ Sunny." His tone was firm.

"Okay, fine. You and Sunny. But he has to go to berth too." Skywarp eyed his trinemates, daring them to say a _word_.

And neither one would. If it got them to be quiet and recharge, then they would give them fragging sedatives. Sideswipe stared at the terminal, optics shuttered and faceplates screwed up in concentration.

::_Come on, Sunny_!::

"No!" Sunstreaker had yet to get much of a hang for their special way of talking and disliked using it. "He's lyin'! All 'dults lie!"

"I'm not lying. I'm barely even an adult. Come on, Sunny. I got rust sticks, too." He took two out of his subspace, and waved them around in a tantalizing fashion.

Sideswipe's head lurched in that direction, and he reached out for one without thinking. He _loved_ candy, and rust sticks were _good_. And he hadn't had one in...He didn't want to think about how long. Or who gave it to him; that hurt a lot.

"Sunny. Please?" Sideswipe said, feeling very tired and not all that bad on Skywarp's berth, not with a yummy stick in hand and a warm body near him.

There were several moments of silence before a quiet voice, shaking with uncertainty asked, "'M not gonna get hit?"

Three Seekers felt their sparks melt at that, and Thundercracker walked over to the console. "No. You aren't. Starscream told you that we don't hit. That goes for us, too."

"Better not. Or I'll slag you up!" Sunstreaker said, crawling out of his hiding place.

"We have _got_ to do something about his language." Starscream muttered. "But not tonight."

Skywarp held out the stick to the golden twin, offering a hand up. Sunny looked at the stick, looked at Skywarp's hand, and looked at Sideswipe before making his decision...he would not be separated from his twin, no matter how scary the fliers were. He allowed himself to be lifted up, and he snatched the stick, scooting next to Sides but as far away from Skywarp as he could get.

Everyone settled into their berths again, the lights dimming once more, but not completely off. Skywarp watched the twins, who watched him back, little blue orbs glowing in the darkened quarters. Slowly, they dimmed and then winked out as the younglings cycled down into recharge once more and Skywarp sighed in relief as he reinitiated his own.

Only the first night and he was already having his doubts.

* * *

><p>The Command Trine awoke to the usual blaring call over the internal comm system, and Starscream cursed, still feeling tired because of his interrupted recharge last night. He onlined his optics slowly, running the various subroutines that would keep him relatively alert today...and saw an adorable sight.<p>

Twins, curled around Skywarp, using his abdominal plating as a pillow. They lay close to each other, the sticky remnants of their late-night snack still on chins and hands, hands that were entwined. Starscream smiled, a gentle smile, feeling something loosen within his spark.

Thundercracker was already up- that one was _always_ an early riser, first to the 'racks and usually returning with their morning's ration by the time the other two climbed from their berths. In fact, the door slid open, revealing Thundercracker with am exasperated expression on his face.

"The whole ship knows by now, Starscream." he said, unsubspacing three normal-sized cubes and two smaller ones. He added something to those two, mixing it with a finger.

"What did you just put into their energon, Thundercracker?"

"Supplements." he said flatly. "I assume you thought something else?" he said scathingly. "I can no more harm them than you can, so keep your programming in check, _Wingleader_."

"Where did you get them?" The tricolored Seeker demanded, rousing both younglings before whacking the still snoring Skywarp.

"Where else?" Thundercracker said flatly. "Hook, obviously."

"Are you sure there is nothing else in there?"

"Give me some credit, Starscream." He growled. "I watched him and tasted them myself."

Astral Singer

Owwww you fragging fragged up reject junkpile!" Skywarp yelped.

That, of course, set both twins to giggling loudly, with Sideswipe saying in as an authoritative manner as possible, "Wash_ his_ mouth out."

"SKYWARP." The dark Seeker jumped as his trinemates leveled glares on him. "Sor-ry. Sheesh." The twins laughed LOUDER at this; glad it was /him/ in trouble and not them.

"Rations." Thundercracker said, holding out two cubes.

The twins stared. How long had it been since they'd seen a whole cube, just for them, not having to share? Too long.

::_'s it a trick, Sunny_?:: Sideswipe asked, concentrating.

Little tanks rumbled noisily at the sight, and Sunstreaker looked longingly at the fuel.

"What's wrong, don't you want any?" Starscream asked, curious as to why they were reacting this way over something so simple as morning fuel.

Sunstreaker cast suspicous optics at the three Seekers. " "S bad, isn' it?"

"Bad?" Skywarp asked in confusion. "Energon isn't bad." He took his own ration and drank deeply, letting the energy surge his systems. "Go on. You need the energy."

The two younglings glanced at each other before taking the cubes meant for thema nd staring at them. Sideswipe was brave enough first, taking a small, careful sip. A look of surprise washed over his faceplates, little optics going comically wide before he was tipping his helm back and drinking almost desperately.

Sunstreaker followed his twin's lead, although he was much more reserved about it, not guzzling the liquid messily. It tasted good. And it soothed his tanks for the first time in a long time it seemed. His optics offlined and before he knew it, it was empty. He looked at the empty cube, considering and remembering the rust sticks from the night before.

"If we're good, do we get more tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

Starscream was speechless for the first time in recorded history. He wanted to ask what Sunstreaker had meant by that, but a sinking feeling in his tanks told him that he already knew. Part of him wanted to use that, to tell Sunstreaker yes, but...he just _couldn't_.

"You get more tonight, same as we do. Twice a day." Thundercracker said quietly, having realized what the problem was.

"Are you still hungry, guys?" Skywarp said, offering the twins half of his cube. TC and Starscream just stared at him, and Skywarp gave a funny little smile and stared right back.

Sideswipe nodded silently, taking the large cube and tipping it up with difficulty, taking a long sip before handing it back.

"I'm s'posed to say thanks." he said, elbowing his twin in the side.

Sunstreaker shot his twin a nasty glare before mumbling, "Thanks."

Starsceam nodded finishing the rest of his cube. "Alright, we have alot to do today. The two of you are to stay with us and not to go wandering of, is that clear?"

Sideswipe's optics brightened slightly. "We can go out?"

"Only with one of us." Starscream insisted.

"What are yer names. So we can ask if we get lost."

Primus the innocence was smothering. And the thought of the two of them lost in the nemesis didn't bear thinking about. "I am Starsceam."

"Skywarp!" The black seeker waggled his digits.

Thundercracker sighed. "I am Thundercracker."

"Star, Sky, and Thunder. Gotcha." Sideswipe said, smiling. He was a whole lot happier with these three; they'd fed them and not been mean about it, it was warm here, and Sky was funny. It was better than the hole.

And Sunny was here. And they were together. This was almost as good as it was...way back then. Not quite, but close.

Sunstreaker scowled deeply. He didn't trust these fliers, not one bit. He'd let them feed him, because he knew he needed that...

_*To grow big and strong, like your sire...*_

He shook his head rapidly, trying to shake the memory away.

There was something up here, and he didn't like it.

"What's that?" Sideswipe pointed to the Decepticon insignia on Starscream's wings.

"That is the badge of our army. We all wear it to show who we work for." Starscream said patiently.

"Why d'ya work for an army? Is it like the 'rena? Cause Sunny an' I are gonna fight there someday!"

Starscream's optic ridges shot up. He'd known the twins had been ex-gladiators. That was common knowledge. But he never figured it had started so young. His own suspicions were beginning to make his tank feel a little unsettled. "Whatever for? It is dangerous there."

"So you know!" Sideswipe said, eagerly. "'S cause then we can push other mechs down! I don't like bein' small. Big mechs pick on you! But they don't if _you_ knock _them_ down first!"

"And what do your creators think about that?" Skywarp asked, curious.

Sideswipe clammed up, his mouth closing and his optics looking down. Sunstreaker wouldn't meet their optics either. Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker looked at each other before Thundercracker knelt and place two big hands on the small red shoulders. "Sideswipe. Where are your creators?"

Sideswipe still wouldn't meet their optics, but he shrugged, one little pede kicking at the ground.

"Gone." Sunstreaker said harshly. "Now don't touch 'im. My brother!" He ran to impose himself between TC and Sideswipe, shoving his way in. "I'm stronger. Put your hands on me. Not him." Sideswipe drew back, afraid now.

"Haven't seen 'em since that day." Sideswipe said. "They was taken away and we were there alone." He shrugged again, not liking to remember it. His hands twitched nervously, though, and he stood close to Sunstreaker the whole time.

"You aren't gonna fight until you're big enough to not be used as a projectile yourself, sweetsparks." Starscream said automatically. Skywarp positively cracked _up_ at the endearment, pointing at Starscream and nearly gasping in laughter.

"Shut the frag up, idiot!" Starscream snapped.

"Thought we didn't say frag." Sunstreaker reminded Starscream.

Starscream scowled, but said nothing. "Very well, if our little drama morning is over with, we have two younglings to take to the quack job."

"What's a quack job?" Sideswipe asked as he was picked up, but then he spluttered the next moment when a damp cloth was pressed to his face and wiping off the sticky remnants from the night before. Sunstreaker was being given the same treatment, helm held in place by a gentle grip on his head fin by Starscream. Thundercracker finished with the red mechling with a sigh.

"Yuck stop thaaaat!" Sideswipe yelled, squirming more. Sunstreaker, on the other hand, stayed perfectly still, even helping in places by turning his head this way and that. He held out his hands for a wipedown as well, staring Star in the optics until he got the hint. Starscream chuckled lightly, and went to get another cloth, this one dipped in solvent. He carefully wiped the golden mech down, getting the dust and dirt from his frame. Sunstreaker was smiling by the time that Starscream was finished, holding out his arm to look at the pretty gold plating.

Skywarp nodded eagerly. "Sweet, Sunshine."

"Don't call me that." The frown was back, and he glared daggers at Skywarp. Sky put up his hands and said, "Okay, okay. Is Sunny alright?" Sunstreaker nodded absently, trying to figure the Seekers out. Something was up, he just knew it!

"I want to give that one baths." Skywarp declared, pointing at Sunstreaker. "He behaves."

Thundercracker snorted, placing the now cleaned Sideswipe back down. "Alright Starscream. What are we doing first?"

"Taking them to Hook for a checkup. I suspect that they've been S-T-A-R-V-E-D for a long time, and there's probably effects we don't know about." Starscream spelled the pertinent word, just in case it upset the twins. His trinemates nodded, and each one scooped up a twin.

"Hey!" they shouted, almost in unison.

"Not gonna walk around right now, not with the Combatis running loose. Vortex'd step right on you and only gripe cuz he got stuff stuck in his pedes." Skywarp said to Sunstreaker. He swung him up, his legs settling next to Skywarp's shouldervents, sitting on Skywarp's shoulders behind the back of his helm.

Sideswipe cackled at this; he faintly, faintly remembered seeing his twin like this, but he wasn't sure...it could have been a weird recharge flux, so he didn't say anything. He tugged on Thundercracker's hand. "Me too?"

TC couldn't resist that smile. He placed the red twin carefully on his shoulders, and Starscream shook his head, half in exasperation, but mostly in an odd feeling he wasn't at all familiar with. It threatened to spill out of his spark and through his lips, but that would be weakness...

"Come on, let's go." he said, somewhat roughly.

* * *

><p>Sideswipe and Sunstreaker both kept very silent as the big seekers walked down the hall. Any time someone came too close they would flare their wings and hiss until the mech backed off. Sunstreaker kept his face buried in Skywarp's helm while Sideswipe stared warily at each mech that passed.<p>

Odd looks were the order of the day, it seemed. Onslaught passed the Seekers, then stopped and looked back again, not sure if what he'd just seen was real, or some odd sensor-echo. "Are those...sparklings?" he asked.

Skywarp virtually _growled_ at the mech, and Starscream fought the urge to get away as fast as he could. "Yes. Now go away." he said. Onslaught raised a single optic ridge and continued on, resolving to tell Swindle /all/ about this new development.

The door to the Constructicons' large hangar bay was locked, as usual, and Starscream pinged it impatiently. It finally slid open, allowing the trine inside, and Sunstreaker peeked around at everything, looking at the bins of spare parts and at the large crane-mech that stood near a table. He wasn't sure he liked this place.

Sideswipe kept silent, able to feel his twin's ambivalence through their bond, just for a second. He stared holes into Starscream. "Who's that? Why does he have a hook there? Is he gonna hang us on it?"

"I do not hang anybody from it." Hook said stiffly. "It is a waste of proper machinery."

Sideswipe's face screwed up at the bigger words. " 'Kay, then how come ya got it?"

Hook gave the sparkling a flat look from under his visor before turning to Skywarp who was pulling a very quiet Sunstreaker from his helm. "Did they drink all of their energon?"

"Yes." Starscream interjected, scowling. Hook was not supposed to ask Thundercracker or Skywarp these things, he was supposed to ask him. "They drank it all."

"I see. Place them on that berth."

Sideswipe was set down with no trouble, the red youngling far too much into looking around and pointing and asking questions that Hook answered with surprising patience. Sunstreaker on the other hand pulled his legs in, curling them to his chassis and clung to Skywarp like his life depended on it.

"No!"

"Sunny..." Skywarp said, trying to set the mechling down.

Sunstreaker shook his helm, little blue optics looking up and pleading with crimson ones. "No! You're gonna let 'im take us apart!" Tears were forming in his optics again.

"...what?" Starscream wasn't sure he'd heard the youngling right. "No, I will _not_!"

Hook sighed through his vents. "I do not take younglings apart unless I have to...or if they misbehave to the extent that it is required."

Skywarp jumped up and rushed for the twins, bristling at the apparent threat. "You so will not, Hook, or I'll kick your aft so hard you'll be bangin' dents out of it ten vorns from now!" The look in his ruby optics was deadly serious.

Sunstreaker was crying even harder; he could see it now, sometimes Sides didn't know _how_ to be good, and this aft was gonna take him away and take him apart! The tears turned into anger, as much anger as a little youngling without even an altmode could have, and maybe more.

"NONONONONONO!" he yelled, causing Skywarp to wince again. "Star! Sky! He'll hurt Sides!" Starscream scooped the yellow twin up and held him close, glaring at Hook, who stood there impassively. "If you harm a nanometer of their plating, I will make you wish you had never been sparked." he growled. "Do you understand me, Constructicon?"

Hook could feel the malice, and he belatedly recalled that Seekers plus sparklings tended to be messy for anyone who interfered. "Clearly, Air Commander."

"He will not harm you youngling." Starscream soothed, but Sunstreaker still refused to be put down. He may not like these fliers very much but he certainly trusted them more than this purple and green mech.

"No! He will! He wants to take us apart and study our sparks!" The yellow mechling wailed.

Starscream frowned, rocking and patting Sunstreaker's back. "Then how about I hold you while Hook looks at you. Will you let me do that?"

Sunstreaker paused, shoulders shaking before he nodded very slowly. Sideswipe clung to the still fuming Skywarp who sat on the berth himself and plopped the sparkling in his lap.

"This is going to make the scan harder." Hook said flatly, but he gave it up as a bad cause when he realized that Starscream wasn't going to budge. He took a handheld scanner and ran it across Sunstreaker's form, very aware of ice-blue optics boring through him with every move he made.

"That stare is very disconcerting." Hook finally said, lowering the scanner.

"Do _not_ tell me you are afraid of a youngling." Thundercracker snorted, standing near the door as if he were guarding.

"Absolutely not." Hook snapped. "Only that he seems to be staring _through_ me."

Starscream gently stroked the golden mechling's helm through the scans, turning him around when Hook needed to see his backplates. Hook frowned at some of the readings, but shook his head when Starscream asked for a report. "I'll give them both at the same time. Skywarp, bring the other one here."

"I-I have a _name_. Sideswipe." Sides decalred in a shaky voice. His courage was bolstered by Skywarp, who he really was starting to like.

"Sideswipe, then." Hook said, humoring the mechling mainly because the Seekers might get off his aft if he did. "Let me look at you."

Sunstreaker stared even _more_ intently at Hook as the examination was repeated on his twin; he was determined not to let anything happen to him at all.

Hook finished and went over the scans, faceplates never changing. "Hmmm, their systems show all the signs that they were cared for properly, but I suspect that is because of the circumstances to their, er, predicament." He waved a hand at the sparklingfied twins. "Physically, they're fine, although they do show signs of degradation. I highly doubt that is from the Autobots, but one never knows. However, their tanks are processing far slower than they should, which is a sign that their bodies remember being starved and - "

"Is starved when you don't eat?" Sideswipe asked, staring intently.

"It is." Hook sounded a bit put off at being interrupted. By a child no less.

"Oh."

"As I was saying." Hook continued when the sparkling fell quiet. "Their bodies remember being starved and it was fortunate that I had the foresight to give you those supplements or they would have purged their cubes back up. However, psychological-"

"We din't eat alot." Sideswipe cut in again, still obviously working through the big word. "Sometimes we gotta share a cube. But most the time we jus' 'charged cause kali said that 'chargin' makes you stay strong. But Thunder says we get _ two_ cubes now!"

"You will stop interrupting me." Hook said coldly. "Psychological damage may be hidden, as this is an important time in their development-"

"What's Psy...psych...psologic?" Sideswipe asked, interrupting _again_.

"Youngling. Silence. Or I will _gag_ you." Hook finally said, earning triple glares from the trine. Sideswipe noticed this and stuck out his glossa, making a loud "pbbbbt" noise.

Hook decided just to ignore it and continued. "In their development, as I was saying. Lack of proper minerals and fuel can cause all sorts of issues later in life, including processor degradation. I almost suspect it has happened to this one already, by his insistence on ignoring proper rules of conduct." He pointed at Sideswipe.

"Slag off, Structie. Sides is perfectly okay. He just thinks you're an aft." Skywarp said unhelpfully. Sideswipe stared giggling at Skywarp's language, and Starscream rubbed his forehead _again_, wondering if he was _ever_ going to be able to break them of bad language.

Hook rolled his optics and ignored the Seeker; by Primus, he was as bad as the younglings. "Their energy needs are going to be somewhat higher in the near future, assuming you continue the recommended two servings per day. The supplements should be maintained for at least several decaorn; there is evidence of slight loss of mineral structure...nothing serious, but it should be taken care of." Hook was an aft, but he was a perfectionist aft.

"Sides...why do you use the Seeker word for carrier?" Thundercracker wondered aloud.

"What's a Seeker?" Sideswipe countered.

"We're Seekers, little red." Skywarp said with chuckle.

"Oh. He's one too?" He pointed at Hook.

Starscream shook his helm vehemently. "Dear Primus, no! Seeker's have wings, Sideswipe."

"Oh..." Sideswipe considered this. He shrugged. "I dunno."

"Kali had wings." The small voice was Sunstreaker's. "I think he did. I have 'charge dumps about 'im sometimes."

Starscream stared. "Sunstreaker." he said slowly. "Did he ever talk to you like this?" He let out a series of sounds that were almost lyrical, even in Starscream's rasping tones. He continued into what was a song, and Skywarp joined in.

Hook looked rather disgusted at the performance, and opened his mouth to tell them to take the concert elsewhere...until TC pinned him to the wall with his gaze, just daring him to do a single thing. He shut his mouth rather quickly and began fiddling with Mixmaster's bench, for that was where the supplements were kept.

Sideswipe was swaying slightly to the tune, looking rather relaxed and not knowing why. Sunstreaker looked both scared and sad, and his hand shook slightly.

A distressed chirp left the yellow grounder and he buried his helm against Starscream's shoulder, shaking.

Sideswipe's optics had dimmed and he listened until he recognized some of the sounds and duplicated them like he remembered being shown how.

Starscream nodded. He was fairly sure, now. He stopped his song, as it seemed to be distressing Sunstreaker far more than it was helping him, and rubbed his back gently. "I wasn't trying to hurt you." he whispered, earning himself a very shocked glance from Hook.

"Very good, Sideswipe." Skywarp grinned, patting Sides on the shoulder. "You almost know that song, and it's very hard to sing right." Thundercracker smiled, looking at the younglings, until he thought about what had to have happened to them when they really were young, to have these memories. His wings shook with surpressed anger at anyone who would leave two younglings to fend for themselves...and wondered what had happened to the Seeker who had obviously taken care of them at some point in their lives.

Now that Starscream had the facts, it was almost obvious in hindsight. The twins love affair with the air, their feet off the ground more often than on. Their affinity for speed and their ability to nearly predict their flying routes when performing Jet Judo. It was coding deep. He glanced at Hook who was still staring in shock. "Will that be all?" He growled.

Hook startled and shook his helm to clear it before holding out a small cube of greyish powder. "This is the minerals they will need. Mix a spoonful of it into their energon each on cycle. Offcycles are not necessary."

Starscream nodded briskly before taking it and subspacing it. He glared at the Constructicon before stomping out, his mates following him closely, twins in hand.

* * *

><p><strong>And we hope you enjoyed! Reviews keep us happy and writing.<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**Another chapter for you! Man we are having a blast with this! Who knew Bitty!Twins could be so cute and fun! Rhetorical question :P As for some of you, you were wondering what DS was in the end notes at the bottom of the last chapter. It just stood for my coauthor's name which was Daenerys Starcatcher. She's awesome, btw. Check out her stuff!**

**Disclaimer: Still not ours, but we shall see... maybe. Not likely.**

**Hope you have as much fun reading as we did writing :}**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"Halfers..." Skywarp growled quietly, watching the Twins nap on Starscream's berth. "They're <em>Halfers<em>...!"

"It would appear so." Starscream said softly.

"How did they slip through! If their genitors died then someone else in Vos would have taken them in!" Skywarp was seething. Just as with any Seeker, his programming was screaming at him. They protected sparklings, cherished them, sheltered them... And they never let their own suffer.

"They didn't say their genitors died." Thundercracker replied, just as soft as Starscream although by the stiff posture of his wings and the way they twitched it was obvious he was furious. "They said they were taken away."

"Taken by _who_?" Starscream wondered aloud, consciously keeping his voice soft, because the twins really didn't need to hear this conversation. "If they didn't live in Vos, then maybe they wouldn't have known. Being halfers, their other genitor may not have been a flier at all."

All three of them knew of the prejudice mixed couples faced in old Vos. Those who were involved were virtually shunned by society, called perverts and worse for daring to love a groundpounder. Most of those couples quietly packed up and vanished to another city, where their lives would be untainted by the harshness of stuck-up Vosians.

"We won't know their altforms for awhile yet, their frames are too immature for them to even _think_ of shifting form." Thundercracker said, sitting on Skywarp's berth with a sigh.

He looked at the two little forms, Sideswipe with his arms wrapped around his twin and Sunstreaker with the first two fingers of his left hand shoved in his mouth and his right arm wrapped just as tightly around Sideswipe. Without thinking, he took an image capture of the moment. He sighed.

"What about upgrades? Can we give 'em flier upgrades?" Skywarp piped up. "At least better propulsion systems for Sides' jetpack."

Protective instincts flared and Starscream gave his trinemate a sharp look. "No jet packs."

"Why not? I'd keep him from falling out of the sky." Skywarp said, flicking his wings proudly.

"NO JETPACKS." Both of his trinemates insisted simultaneously, making Sky's wingtips droop slightly. He flopped hard onto his berth, almost shoving Thundercracker off of it. "Fine, whatever." he grumbled.

"They may feel an occasional need for the sky, though." Starscream mused aloud. "In that case, we take them up with us."

"That'll be fun!" Skywarp brightened at that, smiling over at the recharging twins. "Say, what are we doin' now?"

"_I_ have bridge duty." Starscream said. "You two have twin duty. Kindly don't frag it up, because I promised the overblown fool that they wouldn't interfere with our normal duties more than necessary."

Thundercracker nodded and said, "We'll figure something out. They should be waking soon."

Starscream nodded and stood, sparing one glance back for the twins before leaving.

* * *

><p>Skywarp faux-shrieked as a little red streak of energy 'tackled' him to the floor where it proceeded to crawl on his back and 'tickle' him. Skywarp wriggled and crowed as the sparkling on him giggled and held on for dear life.<p>

Sunstreaker watched with seeming disinterest from his perch on Thundercracker's lap where the blue Seeker was showing him how to use a datapad to write words. Sunsteaker didn't know any words even though Thundercracker knew he should know at least a few convoluted sentences by now. It didn't help that the golden brat was keener on trying to doodle Skywarp then he was on actually paying attention.

"Sunstreaker. If you will practice these words, then I shall allow you a short time to draw." Thundercracker said, a hint of irritation cropping up in his voice. Sideswipe was next for this, and he had a feeling that pinning the red mechling down long enough was going to be damned near impossible.

"Draw first, words after." Sunstreaker's tone was firm. He knew he had some of the power here; he could refuse to write anything at all.

TC knew it, too. "Fine." He gave the twin a stylus and tapped the datapad, clearing it for his use.

"Watch the wings, the wings!" Skywarp crowed loudly, even though Sides really was watching for them, not pulling hard at all. He poked Skywarp in the cockpit glass, making the dark Seeker giggle like he himself was a sparkling. Then Skywarp flopped on his back, his glossa hanging out. His optics offlined, but on his face was a little smile.

"Sky, wake up." Sides poked the Seeker. Skywarp didn't move. "Sky, please wake up?" He poked harder, and Skywarp still didn't move, but his grin grew.

Distress began edging into the little mechs voice and he shook the mech's cockpit. "Sky-eeeeeek!"

"_**GOTCHA**_!" Skywarp cackled, grabbing the small frame and holding him upside down, venting against his belly and making Sideswipe howl in laughter. Sunstreaker glanced up in confusion and then back down, feet swinging lightly as he erased and started over. They had moved fraggit.

It was to this scene that Starscream walked in with a scowl, wings held high and aggravated. He paused in the door however, staring at his black trinemate wrestling with a sparkling.

A smile touched his lips, but he quickly hid it. "Have you done anything _productive_ today, or have you been playing Lord of the Tower all afternoon?" Starscream asked in a relatively pleasant tone. His trinemates knew that he was torqued about something, but they didn't know what.

"Star." Sunny waved his datapad. "Come see." He thought for a moment. "Please."

Starscream came over to look, and on the datapad was a surprisingly good sketch of Skywarp and Sideswipe. For someone so young, it was almost amazingly good. "Excellent work, Sunny. Can you finish that for me?"

Sunny scowled. "Maybe. If the fraggers stop rollin' around." He clapped his hand over his mouth, mindful of the ongoing cleanser threat. "Oops."

Thundercracker shook his head. "Just _try_, Sunstreaker. It doesn't sound right for you to speak that way."

Sideswipe had Skywarp "pinned" to the floor, sitting on him as if he'd conquered him. "Sideswipe, the champion!" he cried, smiling widely.

"Sideswipe, the scholar; for it is time for _your_ lessons in a moment. Sunstreaker, you may finish your drawing after you practice your words." Thundercracker said firmly, holding out his hand for the datapad containing the sketch. "I will save it, and give you a new one to work on."

Sunstreaker looked sad and downcast, but handed it over, watching to make sure TC didn't erase it or something.

As soon as the picture had been archived, Thundercracker returned it to their lesson. "Okay, Sunny, write this line here."

Sunstreaker nodded, helm bending over the datapad, little glossa poking out from between his lips as he concentrated on mimicking the words. This was hard. But he was sure Sideswipe could do it. Sideswipe was better and remembering and copying than he was.

Sunny's lettering was awful, TC decided, and his spelling even worse. He would need to work with Sunstreaker closely just to get him up to standards for his age-group level, and he inwardly shrugged at this. He'd bribe him with art time. Nothing wrong with that.

When Sunstreaker finished, he held out his hand immediately. TC was confused as to what Sunny wanted until he remembered the datapad. He handed it over, loading up the unfinished sketch, and handed him the stylus. He immediately sprawled on his front on Starscream's berth to finish the picture.

"Playtime's over, Sides, gotta work." Skywarp reminded him.

"Awwwwww~" he whined. "Don't wanna!"

"Whether you 'wanna' or not, you're going to." Starscream said, looking through his own datapad. He was looking up old census records from Vos, before its destruction.

Sideswipe frowned and sat on TC's lap, looking down at the words with a deep sigh.

A few sentences in and it was obvious that Sideswipe had a better knack for letters and even numbers than Sunstreaker did. He was rather crafty too, the little slagger, wheedling his way out of the full lesson halfway through. Thundercracker hadn't realized that Sideswipe's 'It's too hard' and 'It's makin' my helm hurt' were ploys. They'd been said so seriously without a whine in there.

Skywarp had laughed. Starscream had made Sideswipe return to finish the lesson although there was a calculating glint in his optics.

Skywarp had to leave for a flight patrol and he did so reluctantly, pretending to try to sneak Sideswipe and Sunstreaker with him until he had been whacked on the helm by both his Trinemates.

"You are not, I repeat, _NOT_, taking the younglings out on a patrol. What if the Autobots saw you?" Thundercracker said.

"What's an Autobot?" Sideswipe asked, eternally curious.

Starscream took a deep breath. How to explain. "They're another group, like we're Decepticons. They are our enemies. They want to take everyone's freedom, and make them do what _they_ want them to do."

"They're bad?" Sideswipe asked his optics wide.

Starscream nodded reluctantly. "They try and...Hurt us. Just because we need fuel." The particulars were something that they didn't need to know right now, and just talking about this was making his tanks roil.

"Don't go on patrol then, Sky!" Sunstreaker said. "They'll hurt you and make you dead, an' then we won't see you again!"

"No way!" Skywarp's wings flared proudly. "Can't catch me! I'm too good!"

Sunstreaker looked far from convinced, but Sideswipe was staring at the big seeker in awe. "Really? Are you fast? Can you go really fast? I like going fast, take me too!"

"Can't, Little Red. Star said no..." Skywarp grinned, tapping the mechlet's nose. "Maybe we'll take you flying later."

"Promise?"

"Cross my spark and hope to - OW! What was that for TC?"

Thundercracker gave his trinemate a look. :: _No talk of dying_. ::

Skywarp looked sheepish.

"Okay, okay." Skywarp scowled at TC. "Cross my spark and pinkie promise. Ever heard of that?"

Sideswipe shook his helm, optics wide. "Nope."

Skywarp knelt down, so that he was closer to Sides' level. He stuck out his pinkie on his right hand. "See, whatcha do is take your littlest finger and stick it out, and then link it with mine. When you make a promise an' do that at the same time, it means you /really/ mean it, and will do what you said."

Sunstreaker watched this, not believing it for a second, but by the look in his twin's optics, Sideswipe certainly did. He immediately stuck out his little finger and linked it with Warp's nodding as seriously as a mechling could.

"Okay, Sky. You promised. An' stay safe. Away from 'Bots!" he said.

Skywarp's smile softened for just a bit and he knocked the sparkling on the helm. Sideswipe yelped indignantly, clutching at the offended area. The teleporter stood, ignoring both his mates and patting Sunstreaker's helm on the way out. The golden sparkling swatted at him with an irritated huff.

The door closed and Sunstreaker went back to his sketch and Sideswipe amused himself with looking around the room while the two Seekers' talked.

"So what happened to get you in such a huff?" Thundercracker asked quietly, watching Sideswipe carefully in case he got into something he shouldn't.

"The Autobots are looking for the..." He glanced significantly toward the twins, and TC got what he was trying to say instantly.

"We can't let them have them." Thundercracker said insistently. "For one, my programming would go fragging haywire, knowing that _they_ had them and were teaching them to hate us."

"Are we really any better, Thundercracker?" Starscream asked, being oddly introspective for once. "In an ideal world, one would teach their young to accept the differences in others, not to hate them. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world." Starscream finished, somewhat bitterly.

Sunstreaker was listening closely to their conversation. He didn't understand most of it, but he'd figured out a long time ago that listening to what adults said was a smart idea. It saved them more than once.

Sideswipe found something jammed underneath Skywarp's bed. It was a small stuffed Seeker, faded and worn. Sideswipe grinned and hugged it.

Thundercracker's mouth twisted. He couldn't really refute what Starscream was saying as he watched the twins. Sunstreaker seemed enthralled with his sketch and Sideswipe had... Huh. He thought Skywarp had gotten rid of that old thing.

He watched them now, and he imagined just what they had to go through now compared to what they had learned. Now, they would be artificially encouraged to grow at a fast pace to become the perfect Decepticon warriors. Never getting a chance to have a childhood. Again. He fought the urge to hit something.

"So what are we going to do about the... the growing? Bucket head gave you a year. An _Earth_ year to find an _experimental,_" His voice quieted there. "Way to stimulate their growth to train into warriors. That or they're..." He made a disgusted slashing motion across his neck.

Sunstreaker tensed slightly. He'd seen that motion before. He knew what it meant even if the Seekers didn't say anything. He looked quickly at his brother and fear curled in his spark. He knew these Seekers were bad...

Sunny just stared mistrustfully, and Sideswipe wandered over to him, still clutching the toy.

"Lookit what I found, Sunny!" He holds out the stuffed Seeker with a grin.

Sunstreaker scowled and pushed it away from him, not wanting it near him right now. "Don't want it!"

Sides gazed at his twin. "'S wrong?" He set the Seeker toy down and sat next to Sunny, arms wrapped around his knees.

"They're bad." Sunny said softly, pointing at the two Seekers who were still talking. "Said bad things, and I don't like it. Need to get out of here." he said firmly, his optics fading into an icy blue that looked eerie on someone so young.

"But Sunny, Skywarp _promised_. He isn't bad. And Star sings to us." Sideswipe argued, not wanting to believe that the Seekers were really bad!

"He," Sunstreaker stabbed a small golden digit at Thundercracker. "Was talking about us and did this." He slashed his fingers across his neck. "Told you..." His voice got quiet and somewhat sad. "All 'dults lie..."

"Not Sky. Not." Sideswipe shook his head, tiny drops of coolant forming in his optics. "Said he would take me to fly. Not...not_ that_."

"Fly, then drop you." Sunny said sagely, with all the experience that a younger brother could have. "Go splat on the ground."

"NO I WOULDN'T. Take that back, aft!" Sideswipe was crying a little now, and he punched Sunny in the chest, absolutely furious.

Sunstreaker cried out in pain, giving his brother an absolute hurt look, complete with tears and trembling lower lip. But as a frightened and hurt youngling was wont to do, he covered his fear and pain with anger. "Not an aft, stupid!" He shouted back, tackling the red youngling. "Not an aft! You stupid!"

Thundercracker and Starscream both were across the room in the next moment, pulling the quarreling younglings apart.

"Just _what_ is going on here!" Starscream demanded, having grabbed Sunstreaker and gave him a small shake when the golden youngling struggled.

"Don't touch me, fragging aftshaft!" Sunstreaker yelled, trembling in anger. "You're bad!"

"IS NOT!" Sides screamed, his cheeks wet with tears. "Sunny's being a stupid aft!"

"**_QUIET_**!" Thundercracker bellowed. Both twins fell almost completely silent, looking at TC with round wide optics, the only sounds Sunny's fast intake of air and the faint sniffling noise from Sideswipe's tears.

"What exactly happened, here?" Starscream asked quietly, looking from one twin to the other. Sunstreaker pressed his lips closed tightly, and defiantly looked away. Sideswipe glared at his twin and pointed at him. "He did it. He said Sky would drop me and I'd splat on the ground and that you guys were bad and that we need to go away!"

Starscream looked down at the tightlipped Sunstreaker, wholly insulted for his trinemate, but also aware that he was dealing with a sparkling used to not depending on anyone but himself and his brother.

"Why would you think that, Sunstreaker?" He asked, setting the sparkling on his pedes. "We wouldn't do that to you." He placed his hands on Sunstreaker's trembling shoulders. "We only want to protect you and -"

"Liar!" Sunstreaker growled, slapping Starscream's hands away. "Yer a liar and so's he!" He jabbed a finger at Thundercracker again. "I heard you! You were talkin' 'bout us! You - you said that you were gonna 'speriment on us and -and - k-kill - AAAAAAHHHH!"

The sparkling couldn't finish, breaking into loud hiccupping sobs that seemed to echo in the room.

Thundercracker wanted to smack himself; he knew exactly what Sunstreaker was referring to. He wasn't about to tell Sunny what they were really meaning, because...they wouldn't understand. Thundercracker himself didn't understand. All he could do was damage control.

Starscream looked stunned and hurt, and he took the golden yellow twin in his arms, disregarding the kicks, punches, and squirming to get free.

"Listen to me. LISTEN to me, Sunstreaker." Starscream insisted, moving his chin up so he could look Sunny in the optics. The youngling tried desperately to hold the Seeker's gaze, even through the gasping sobs.

"We are not going to harm you in any way. I swear it on my wings, on my spark." Star said, very serious. "I know you don't yet believe me, because people have hurt you in the past, even when they said they wouldn't. You and Sides fighting like that is not acceptable, though, and neither is you accusing Skywarp of wanting to harm your brother. He would not do that."

"Liar." Sunny whispered.

"Then we will just have to prove you wrong." Starscream said firmly, but gently. He swiped at the youngling's wet faceplates. He hugged the now limp Sunstreaker to him and rocked him, giving Thundercracker a Look over his helm.

Sideswipe clung to Thundercracker as the blue Seeker looked back, optics slightly pained.

Sunstreaker firmly took his optics offline, refusing to look at the Seeker who was rocking him. He'd never admit it, but it felt kinda nice, and Star was warm, and the faint sound of his engines was soothing in a way he didn't quite understand.

He still didn't trust them, though. No matter how much they held him.

Sideswipe stared into TC's optics, looking for truth in them. "So you won't hurt us, ever?"

"No." Thundercracker said, his tone slightly bitter. He'd throw himself in between the little ones and danger, even if it was Megatron...but he knew he'd lose.

Sideswipe continued to search before he reached up, littlest finger extended. "Promise."

Thundercracker looked at him with an odd expression on his face, but he linked his finger with the mechling's. Sideswipe nodded his helm, satisfied. "Kay, you promised."

Thundercracker chuckled in that rumbling way of his. "I did."

* * *

><p>Wheeljack stood in front of Optimus Prime with a sad expression in his optics. Hi shelm fins flickered slowly with a sickly shade of pink.<p>

"'M sorry, Prime, but I don't know if the effect'll reverse itself or not. They're not here for me to check."

"Th' Seekers have 'em." Ironhide said, not at all happy with that. For all their annoying natures, he cared about the twins almost as if they were his younger brothers.

Optimus Prime sighed deeply, and shook his head. "I will try to negotiate for their return with Megatron, but...I don't know how successful I will be. They _are_ only sparklings, after all, and thus not as useful as prisoners."

"Wh-what if they've already..." Red Alert made a slashing motion across his neck and several of the officers flinched.

"Not likely." Ratchet sighed. "I don't know much, but I do know Seekers have an innate need to protect and care for sparklings of any frame type. Which means good luck even getting them back. Two Trines on Earth. Between the six of them, we'll be lucky to even see them on the vidscreen let alone get them back."

Ironhide snorted. "You mean t'tell me that _Starscream_ and that glitched up teleporter's gonna be huggin' 'em and tuckin' 'em in at night?" he demanded. "That's th' stupidest thing I have EVER heard."

"Coding is coding. You ought to know that. Guardian of the Prime, remember?" Ratchet reminded Ironhide. The red mech snorted, but didn't argue it anymore.

"I am still going to try it." Prime said, looking at his officers. "The twins belong /here/, sparklings or not. Not with the Decepticons."

Ratchet folded his arms. "I agree, Prime. And you're very welcome to try it your way. I'm just saying be prepared to have a contingency plan... Or three."

"Ah agree with Ratch." Jazz spoke up, having stayed uncharacteristically quiet throughout most of this meeting. "Ah'm not sayin' don't try to negotiate, Prahm." He quickly ammended. "Ah'm jus' sayin' that the likelyhood of us gettin' the twins back, _if_ they haven't already been taken care of..." He ignored the flinches. "That we need a plan of attack. Or rather, a way to sneak in and out quietly."

"I also back this, Prime." Prowl said, adding his own two cents in. "The likelihood of our retrieving the Twins on negotiating terms if this coding does indeed exist is likely to be 20% or lower. We stand a better chance if we launch a retrieval mission."

It was silent, the room weighing heavily on all there. Finally, Optimus leaned forward. "Wheeljack." The inventor looked up, helm fins flashing weakly. "What is the chance that once we have the twins back you can build something to reverse the situation?"

Wheeljack shook his helm. "I couldn't tell you Prime. Like I said before, I would need them here to study the effects. And that's if it even _is_ reversible."

"Or if we even get them back." Blaster added.

"We will get them back." Optimus said firmly. This he promised himself. He shuddered to think what could be happening to the Twins in the Decepticons' clutches.

* * *

><p>The little red mech squealed in delight as he was tossed into the air. "Higher, Sky, higher!"<p>

Skywarp ginned widely, more widely than Starscream could remember in _vorns_. "Sure thing, Little Red! Up you go!" Skywarp tossed the mechling up high, then rose up just a bit on his thrusters to catch him safely, laughing with Sideswipe the whole time.

Sunstreaker just watched, feeling both wary...and left out. It _did_ look fun, but...what if he dropped them? Sunny didn't want to go splat! It would mess up his pretty colors!

Starscream knelt nearby, handing Sunny a special datapad that he'd programmed just for him. It had a larger array of colors, a thinner stylus, and a larger memory than the one he _had_ been using. Sunstreaker took it and tapped the stylus on it- there, right in front, was the half-done sketch of his brother playing with Skywarp.

Despite himself, he smiled hesitantly, then more widely at Starscream and his gift.

Starscream had already figured out that Sunstreaker needed a slower approach than his twin brother. Which spoke alot about how far their adult personalities had transcended time. The golden halfer preferred quiet over loud, and had his own way of letting you know when you were crossing lines. Mostly by shooting you wary looks.

So Starscream sat quietly and watched with his own smile as Sunstreaker continued his sketch with the complete concentration only a sparkling could have. Thundercracker sat at their terminal, filing reports and continuing through the census that Starscream had abandoned after Sunstreaker's fit. He wasn't making much headway. It turned out there were /a lot/ of Grounder/Seeker units. Far more than he had been expecting.

Thundercracker rubbed at his forehead for a moment; he'd never thought that it was /that/ common. The census records didn't have anything as obvious as coloring included, and it wasn't new enough that the twins would have been listed during that time.

Sideswipe was starting to tire of his own 'flight', and he looked up at Skywarp. "I'm hungry." he said quietly.

Sunstreaker looked up and hissed, "We don't _say_ that!"

"But Sunny-"

"No!" he said, putting his drawing tablet down.

Thundercracker had already gotten up to retrieve their evening rations; Skywarp had gotten them on his way back from his shift, and he set the five cubes on a table- the same three large ones, and two smaller.

Sunstreaker's optics widened almost comically. So they DID tell the truth there, twice in one day!

Sideswipe almost bounced, rushing over to the table to sit on it, because the chair was far too low to the ground for him to use it properly. "Sunnnnnnny." he said. "Get UP here. It's yummy!"

Something within Starscream melted, and something else wanted to find whoever had abandoned them as younglings and beat the slag out of them, again and again and again.

He reached out to Sunstreaker, just a single hand, and the little golden halfer just looked at it for a moment before taking it, allowing Starscream to lift him onto the table next to his twin.

Hesitantly, he drank at his cube , taking small sips as if it were the last cube he expected to get for a long time. And for all they knew, that was exactly what Sunstreaker was thinking. Sideswipe, on the other hand, was more than happy to guzzle down his own energon, chirping contently when he was finished.

Skywarp snatched both sparklings, Sideswipe clicking in delight and Sunstreaker squawking indignantly, still drinking at his own fuel. Skywarp just grinned widely. "So, what're we gonna do about cycle when we're all on duty? Bucket head ain't gonna let us have them following around like little Seekerlets."

"What's a buckethead?" Sideswipe asked innocently, causing Skywarp to erupt in giggles and even TC cracked a smile. Starscream grinned, and said, "It's our commander."

"Commander Buckethead?" Sideswipe said, somewhat doubtfully.

Sunstreaker tried very, very hard not to laugh. He sipped at his cube and tried not to picture a leader, with a bucket for a head...and he started chuckling softly, revealing a beautiful smile.

Thundercracker, being the mosrt composed of the three, gave two options. "We could leave them with Soundwave. It's his off-shift then, and Primus knowns he has experience with younglings, having five cassettes. Or we let Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust have the turn they've been whining about."

"The Coneheads?" Skywarp screeched indignantly, almost sounding like Starscream. Sideswipe slapped his servos to his audials and Sunstreaker's slats closed tight. "You want to let the _Coneheads_ watch them? And you call me stupid, TC!"

Thundercracker glared at his wingmate. "They won't shut up until we do."

"They'll step on them!" Skywarp continued, oblivious to his blue trinemate. "Or drop them just trying to pick them up! They're _morons_!"

"No, they won't." Starscream said calmly. "They are under the same strictures that we are...plus, they know that I will personally slag them to Unicron's Pit and back if they harm so much as a nanometer of their plating." He smiled down at Sunstreaker, trying to be reassuring. It didn't work well; his sensors were still ringing from Skywarp's screech and he shook his head, trying to forget the sound.

"What's a Conehead?" Sideswipe asked. Thundercracker wondered where all the questions came from...this one was full of questions, all the time.

"They're Seekers, like us, but a lot uglier." Skywarp said, earning a snicker from Starscream.

"Oh." Sideswipe paused. "What's an ugly Seeker look like?"

"Oh, you'll see." Starscream grinned, plucking the disoriented Sunstreaker away from a suddenly pouty Skywarp who stared at the golden sparkling like a favorite toy he'd just got taken away. "For now, though, it's time to wash. Skywarp, grab the little devil and come with me. Since _someone_ broke our own 'racks, we have to use the communal ones." He turned to Thundercracker. "Keep looking through those records. I don't know how old the twins are, but there can't be that many Grounder/Seeker units with Twins."

"Why do have to take_ him_." Skywarp whined, causing Sides to look up at Skywarp sadly.

"Dontcha like me anymore?"

Skywarp felt like a first-class aft. "Course I do, Little Red. Are you gonna let Sky scrub you down in the 'racks?"

"Don't like baths!" Sideswipe said firmly. "Solvent stinks, and I don't like it."

Sunstreaker perked up at the mention of washracks. He hoped that it was nice and hot, and that there was a soft cloth in here to shine with... His smile was as wide as it had been when his second ration had been produced. "Star, wanna go to the racks." he said softly, and Starscream lifted Sunny up to carry him there.

Skywarp quickly was left behind, because Sides refused to budge. "No bath! No racks!" he said loudly. "I'm clean, I'm clean, and you just wiped me down last night!"

Skywarp groaned inwardly. "You're gonna cause a scene, aren't you."

And sparing no time to answer, he plucked up the small grounder and hefted him in his arms amongst shouts and denials and complaints. When Sideswipe realized he wasn't getting down, he opened his mouth...

Old Buckethead had nothing on the little runt.

His voice was much bigger than he was, TC noted. Skywarp winced, and quietly snickered at the litany of words that were mixed in with the yells, noticing that even though the youngling was less than a tenth his age, he knew almost as many curses.

Thundercracker called out as he followed them with the census records, "Wash his mouth while you're at it, Skywarp."

Sky shook his head disgustedly; didn't they understand it was one way for 'em to get out their frustration? _He_ didn't mind it, and he was the one in charge of Sides, so he just marched them to the communal racks, where Sunstreaker and Starscream already were. Sunny was standing under hot spray with every indication of pleasure, carefully wiping himself with a soft cloth that Starscream had gotten for him, while Starscream himself was scrubbing down, trying to reach a difficult spot between his wings.

"Noooo!" Sideswipe squealed as Skywarp marched beside his wingmate, flicked the water on and shoved Sideswipe under it. The red sparkling spluttered as the black and purple seeker snagged a cloth, wetted it and began scrubbing the squirming bitlet to the best of his ability.

Sunstreaker watched, wide optic'd and surprised as his brother continued with his diatribe and stream of curses even as he had to spit out mouthfuls of water and sometimes solvent. Which only made him curse more.

He giggled, not catching the look Starscream was giving the red twin.

"Please tell me that isn't where Sunstreaker has learned to speak like that."

"May have been, don't know." Skywarp said, scrubbing the squirming youngling's plating with difficulty. "Could be, cuz Little Red here knows almost ALL the words."

"Shut the frag up." A voice said. Starscream stiffened slightly. That sounded like Drag Strip. The last thing they needed was irate Stunticons around still-sensitive younglings. Starscream turned to Sunstreaker. "Try and finish up, we need to go soon."

"But I'm not done!" Sunny said a slight whine in his tone. "Still gotta do my legs!" He couldn't recall the last time he'd had proper hot water AND cleanser AND soft cloths, and slaggit, he was going to make the most of it. Even at his age he wanted to shine.

Drag Strip, accompanied by Wildrider, stepped into the racks, right next to the trine and the twins. Wildrider stared at the twins, not really sure what to make of them. His glitched synaptic relays were probably insisting they weren't really there, for all Starscream knew.

Drag Strip, on the other hand, knew. "What the frag you got those twins in here for, Screamer?" Drag Strip demanded. He wasn't a flier; _he_ didn't give a frag about an Air Commander. He took orders from Motormaster first and Megatron second, and frag anyone else.

"Does that small processor of yours let you look over the obvious?" Skywarp said drolly. "We're getting them clean."

Sideswipe and fallen silent and was staring at the strangers with a mixture of fear and curiosity. These mechs didn't feel like the Seekers. They didn't even feel like Hook and while he had been intimidating, these ones were scary.

Sunstreaker had no curiosity whatsoever and was hiding behind Starscream's legs, cloth forgotten on the floor. He peered from between the white and blue thrusters, little ice blue optics narrowed as he tried to seem tougher and bigger than he actually was.

Drag Strip scowled. "I sees that, but what're they doin' _here_? S'our 'racks!"

Wildrider in the meanwhile had crouched and approached the quiet Sideswipe with ill curiosity. Sideswipe huddled in Skywarp's arms and Skywarp's wings flared in warning.

"Back off, glitch, and I _won't_ send your aft to Hook in a pile." Skywarp said, his voice trembling a bit under the imperatives running through his processor.

"Don't wanna hurt him, just wanna look." Wildrider insisted, poking at Sideswipe, who jumped visibly and tried to climb up Skywarp's arms to his shoulder. Skywarp's ruby optics narrowed and he hissed, "Last chance, aftshaft- back the frag off."

Sunstreaker just peeked from behind Starscream, and Thundercracker folded his arms over his larger frame and stared at the two Stunticons with great suspicion.

"Give 'im here, he's like a little doll!" Wildrider crowed, grabbing for Sideswipe with both hands.

That was the biggest mistake that 'Rider had made in his short existence.

Instantly, Sideswipe was shoved into Starscream's arms and Sunstreaker was scooped up in the same instant. Two big Seekers were on the Stunticon with vicious intent, Wildrider howling in pain and anger as he did his best to fend them off. Drag Strip stood there stunned, watching with wide optics. He'd never seen the Seekers react to anything like this before.

Starscream, now dealing with two sparklings who were shaking like leaves in the wind and trying to burrow into Starscream's plating, whistled sharply twice and his wingmates backed off, claws curled, denta bared and wings held stiff and high. Glowing energon blood stained their claws where they had ripped into Wildrider's plating, the Stunticon now missing an arm and his left optic. Drag Strip snarled, moving to advance, only to freeze when triple glares turned on him.

"Do not _**EVER**_ touch our sparklings." Starscream said menacingly, holding the silently crying and distressed younglings closer. "Understood."

Drag Strip nodded and stood stiff as a pole as the Seekers stalked past him, Thundercracker first, followed by Starscream and the younglings, then Skywarp who gnashed his denta at the Stunticon.

"Fragging insane." Drag Strip snarled, dragging his now-injured gestaltmate out of the 'racks, undoubtedly to get his arm put back on. He saw the Seekers going in one direction, so he prudently went in the other, not wanting the same treatment Wildrider had gotten.

Sideswipe was torn. What Skywarp had done was cool, he'd kicked that mech's aft hard, but it was also kinda scary. Nice Skywarp had that aft's energon on his hands, still glowing faintly. He wasn't sure what to make of that. Sunny had had energon, another mech's energon, on his hands before. It had been a bigger mechling, not too much older than they were. He'd tried to take Sides' last ration, and Sunny had beaten him down. He'd gottem dented up some in the process, but Sunny had won. It was like he'd gone away and become someone else for a little while.

Sideswipe wondered if Skywarp did that too. So he asked. "Sky?"

"What is it, Little Red?" His voice sounded tired.

"Do you go away when you hurt people?" Sides asked.

"I...I'm not sure what you mean, little guy." He looked at his hands, and noticed that the fluid still stained them. He felt bad about doing it in front of them, but not about doing it. They must be protected, especially from glitches like Wildrider.

"You know... Are you not Sky anymore, when you get all scary like that?" Sideswipe's voice was small, trembling.

Sunstreaker had yet to pull his face from Starscream's shoulder or ceased to tremble.

Skywarp turned to meet the little cobalt optics of the red twin. "I don't know." He said honestly.

Sideswipe kept quiet, not sure what to make of it. He didn't like it when adults said they didn't know. 'Cause adults were always supposed to know. Even if they were mean adults.

Starscream suddenly hissed, making Sunstreaker curl more into himself and Sideswipe look at him warily. "We've been called to the Command Center to discuss our _conduct_ in the washwracks. Hook called in."

Skywarp hit the wall in frustration, cursing loudly. _His_ command of unsavory words far outstripped the youngling's, and he proved his inventive nature by cursing Hook, Wildrider, Drag Strip, _both_ gestalts, and several unrelated mechs' personal habits, probable prowess in battle as well as other areas, and likely parentage.

Sideswipe's optics were wider than even when he'd gotten his second cube of energon and he turned to Starscream, asking, "What's a valve?"

Starscream kicked his purple trinemate, earning a scowl. "Something you're still too young to know about." He told Sideswipe resolutely. Then he sighed. "He wants all three of us."

"We can't take them up there." Thundercracker growled, wings flaring even wider at the thought of the younglings surrounded by so many Decepticons at once.

"You don't mean...?" Skywarp began with a scowl.

"Yes." Starscream cut him off, hefting the sparklings into a more comfortable position in his arms. "Ramjet and his band of misfits get their turn sooner than we anticipated."

* * *

><p>"And I swear to you Conehead, if there is even one scratch on either of their skidplates, I will make you regret ever having been sparked." Starscream hissed threateningly in Ramjet's face after handing a curious Sideswipe and fearfully quiet Sunstreaker to Dirge and Thrust.<p>

Ramjet held up his servos, attempting to look more sincere than his faceplates really allowed. "Promise, Commander. Not a scratch."

The Command Trine left the twins with the Coneheads, muttering imprecations and threats the entire way. They headed toward the command deck, where Megatron waited to hear what had happened in the washracks.

* * *

><p>"So <em>that's<em> why you guys are called Coneheads." Sideswipe said, pointing at Thrust's head. "You sure look funny, not like Seekers."

"We _are_ Seekers, Sunny." Thrust said.

"'M Sideswipe, not Sunny." Sides corrected, looking disgusted with the name swap.

Sunstreaker just glared, looking around the much smaller room. The entrance was behind him, and there were three narrow berths in the room, two of which were shoved together. Other than that, there was a vidscreen, a smallish work console...and nothing else. Sunny wished that he'd brought his drawing tablet. This was gonna be boring, because he had no intention of talking to any of them.

"All right, Sideswipe. What do you want to do?" Ramjet said shakily. He had no fragging clue what he was doing; he'd never been this close to a youngling, and this one was as smartaft as it got. The other one just stared at people, and Ramjet wondered if he had a glitch or something.

Sideswipe's optics lit up with almost sudden realization. A small grin curved his little face and had he still been an adult, it would have been the frin that had Prowl preparing his cell in the brig.

"Ummm... What's that?" He asked innocently, pointing at the console.

"That's our terminal." Ramjet said. "We do our reports on there."

"Oh. What's that?"

"This is a waxing tin."

"What's wax?"

Thrust looked surprised. "Wax is, well... That is to say... Er..." How did one explain wax to a sparkling?

Dirge, standing off to the side after setting Sunstreaker down stared at his trinemates and shook his helm with a long suffering sigh. _'I'm surrounded by idiots.'_ He bemoaned to himself. He glanced down to make sure the yellow sparkling wasn't getting into trouble only to find the ice blue optics staring up at him in a wide optic'd way. He stared back, unblinking.

Dear Primus, did Sideswipe's questions never _end_? Ramjet and Thrust were losing patience rather quickly with the curious little thing, no matter how endearing it seemed.

"What's that?" Sideswipe asked, pointing to a slat cover in the corner of the room on the ground.

"What, that? That's a vent." Ramjet snorted. It should have been obvious. Was this sparkling slow? He wouldn't be surprised. "It leads into the ship and goes all over the place." He quickly explained before Sideswipe could ask.

Thrust groaned and glanced at his other trinemate to see how he was fairing... and had to blink. They were just... staring at each other. The little yellow thing was standing, helm tilted all the way back to stare up at his trinemate. Dirge was staring back, just as intently.

Thrust felt a shiver crawl up his spine.

"What is wrong with that youngling, Dirge?" Thrust asked. He was feeling very...weirded out, to use a human term. Nothing that small and that young should be able to hold a gaze for _that_ long.

Sunstreaker's face was impassive, though something within him wanted so badly to laugh. The Conehead was starting to crack, he just knew it! So his optics flared slightly, paling just a bit.

Dirge set his lips. He wasn't gonna lose to a bitlet. No way in _Pit_.

A smile did creep up on Sideswipe's face. The vents went places? They must be like the tunnels back home, and he'd always been good at finding his way through tunnels. He looked around the room and climbed up to an open bin of things, rummaging through it before Ramjet could stop him. Sides found what he'd been looking for- a small light that one could magnetically stick to their helm. He stuck it on there and gave Ramjet his most innocent expression. "I'm a miner! Whee!"

The Conehead bought it, hook, line, and sinker.

Sunstreaker started to wiggle a little, but his head didn't move- those icy optics remained locked onto Dirge's, and finally Thrust cried out.

"That kid is WEIRD, I am OUT of here!" He exited their quarters, for points unknown. Dirge automatically turned his head to see where his trinemate has went, and Sunny allowed himself a fierce smile, a smile that remained when Dirge looked back. The Conehead shook his head, disgusted.

"Nap time!" Ramjet declared, having quickly decided that a quiet youngling was his favorite kind of youngling. Sideswipe pouted, but allowed the Conehead to pick him up and place him on the single berth. Sunstreaker finally moved from where he was, letting himself also be placed on the berth. He lay down without a fuss, Sideswipe sticking his glossa out before flopping beside his brother, and turning his back to the Coneheads.

Just wait until they weren't looking. He and Sunny would be halfway done exploring the ship by the time they realized anything.

After a short time, the two Seekers who remained in the room went over to their vidscreen, watching something or another. It was the twins' excellent luck that the Coneheads' vidscreen was on the opposite side of the room from the vent opening, which was near the floor by their berth.

Sides concentrated really hard, because he knew they needed to not talk out loud. ::_Sunny. Let's go see stuff!::_

Sunstreaker _still_ didn't like talking that way so he just nodded firmly, slipping off the side of the berth so that Sideswipe could get down next. They studied the vent covering, and several of the bolts were missing.

Sides shrugged and slipped his fingers under the spot where there were no bolts, opening it just enough for his twin to get through. Sunny held it from the inside while Sides me through, and they both released it slowly, so it wouldn't slam, like metal tended to do.

It was dark further down, but Sideswipe had taken that light so that his younger brother wouldn't be scared. He turned it on, a bright white light shining from the top of his helm. Sunny sighed in relief.

"Where're we goin'?" Sunny asked.

"Dunno." Sideswipe said, speaking softly. "Explorin'. Ya scared?"

Sunstreaker's faceplates screwed up in indignation. "Nu-uh! Braver 'n you!"

"We'll see Sunny."

The two younglings were just barely small enough that they could stand in the vent, helms not quite, but almost touching the top. Sunstreaker clung to Sideswipe as they walked softly through the airways.

The twins could see areas of faint light, presumably where rooms were. They slowly and quietly crept up to each one, so that they could see what was on the other side.

This room was empty, or so it seemed; only a dim light was on, and Sideswipe could see a bunch of cushions on the floor, along with an odd-looking glass screen thing and something with cords trailing from it.

"'S that, Sides?" Sunny asked, pointing.

"Dunno, but it looks weird. Look, there's a lyraharp over there!" Indeed, it was; a large floor model, even, and this one looked well-maintained. Sideswipe still remembered some of the notes he'd been taught from Before, and always loved the chance to mess with instruments.

"I see it..." Sunstreaker said, staring. It was a bigger room than the Coneheads' and maybe just a little smaller than their caretakers'. Other than the area in front of the glass screen, everything else was completely tidy. Almost too tidy for Sideswipe's liking. But he really wanted to get at the lyraharp. He jiggled at the bar vents, frowning a little when they hardly moved.

"Shhhhh. Don't be _loud_!" Sunny hissed, scowling.

"I wanna play it-" Sides whined.

"You can't get in. Ask Skywarp, your new best friend." Yes, Sunstreaker was jealous that Sideswipe had grown so fond of the Seeker.

Sideswipe missed the note of jealously, and nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Think I will! Thanks for thinkin' of that, Sunny!"

Sunstreaker muttered under his breath, "Dumbaft." They moved on, looking into the next lighted area.

And so it went, the Twins moving steadily through the airways, looking into each opening they found with curiosity and interest, snickering quietly over certain things or retreating quietly when a mech was on the other side. It was only when the light on Sideswipe's helm started flickering that Sunstreaker looked back and realized that they were lost.

"Uh..." His voice seemed to echo in the darkness behind him and he seized his brother's hand. "Sides..."

Sideswipe took the magnetic light off his helm and tried slapping it hard; sometimes that made things work (hey, it worked with Sunny sometimes!) It flickered even MORE, and Sides could see Sunstreaker's optics start to widen as the light grew dimmer.

"C'mon, Sunny, let's go to a room. Any room." Sunny bit his lip and nodded, taking his older twin's hand and following him through the gloom to the nearest light source, a room where nobody had been heard when they first went past it. Sideswipe pushed on the vent, but it wouldn't budge. He frowned and looked at his brother.

"Help me, Sunny!"

Before the words were completely out, Sunstreaker had began pushing on the vent as well, shoving with all his strength. The cover popped off with a loud crash, admitting the twins into the room.

A huge black mech lay resting on an equally huge berth...and his violet optics slowly opened, lit with more than a touch of annoyance at the interruption of his recharge cycle.

Sunstreaker shook his helm, clearing it from the sudden tumble and looked to check over his brother. Sometimes Sideswipe got hurt without even trying. Sideswipe was fine, however and even stood up and pretended to dust himself off, looking at his scuffed and dusty plating with a giggle.

So much for Skywarp's bath.

Both twins paused when the shadow fell over them and they paused, their helms tilting up and up to stare at the mech who was bigger than Thundercracker. Angry, violet optics glared down at them, set in a scowling, angry face.

The sparklings froze like deer in headlights.

"Who the frag are you?" Motormaster growled, and the twins jumped. Their optics were wide and terrified-looking, and Sideswipe's knees literally shook at the tone.

"Um. We got lost?" Sunstreaker ventured.

"Lost. Lost in _my_ room, fragging with what little recharge I manage to get. I'll pound you two little bugs into scrap!" Motormaster lunged, but fast reflexes born of practice had the twins almost immediately back in the vents, running like Unicron himself was after them.

A roar of rage followed them, a large arm chasing after them and reaching as far as it could, managing to snag Sideswipe's ankle and starting to pull pack when Sunstreaker stomped on the servo as hard as he could. Curses followed the loosened grip and both sparklings ran for the next lighted area, fear carrying their little bodies faster than they knew they could run.

They ran and ran, sometimes even hearing confused exclamations from rooms they ran past, their pedes making a lot of noise. Eventually, they stopped to cycle cooler air and cool their heated engines and calm their racing sparks. They had stopped outside a vent, brighter light filtering in than most of the other ones. Sunstreaker was sniffling, trying to keep from crying again and Sideswipe swiped at his optics to clear them of coolant.

"S'okay, Sunny..." He murmured, reaching for his brother and pulling him into a tight hug.

"W-want St-star!" Sunstreaker sobbed softly, trembling.

Sideswipe nodded, leaning back to slide down the wall. Only he wasn't leaning against the wall, but another vent... Which fell open under them, tumbling them into the brighter area.

They looked up, glancing around fearfully, sparks pounding but the area was empty. It was a hallway, doors lining the opposite wall.

"Shhh. Not dark here." Sideswipe said, holding on to Sunny's hand tightly. "Maybe we can find them."

"Don't wanna find that MEAN one. He'll slag us for sure!" Sunstreaker pronounced sagely. Sides nodded fearfully, as if he expected the big black semi to just appear from nowhere, his engines roaring.

They walked down the hallway, keeping to the sides so maybe they wouldn't be noticed. Red and yellow _do_ stick out, though, and they both failed to take that into account in their explorations.

There were palmpads at many of the doors, just high enough that they couldn't reach, not even standing on each other like they'd tried before. Sunstreaker was starting to get crankier and crankier, speaking very little except to say stubbornly, "Want Star. Now."

"We'll find him." Sideswipe snapped back, not faring much better. His own fear and trepidation was beginning to wear on him as he pulled his brother with him, determined to find one of their caretakers. He turned a corner, tugging Sunstreaker after him and ran into something solid and metal.

He grunted, little red frame rebounding off the object and into his twin, both sparklings tumbling to the floor.

"Well, hey!" Sunstreaker and Sideswipe's helms snapped up again. "What do we have here?"

In front of them stood two mechs, a tan and purple one with big violet optics that glowed with intense interest and a big grey, blue and purplish one with a red visor, odd flared protrusions on his back and a grin that sent terrified shivers through the mechlings.

"Ummmmm..." Sideswipe stopped dead, not sure what to make of these two. They hadn't done anything to them yet, but that bigger one was just SCARY, just by being there!

Sunstreaker swallowed his fear and stood between his twin and the two strange mechs. "Nothin'. Go away, afts." His expression was as fierce as he could make it...but the coolant tearstreaks down his cheeks didnt really help matters.

"Got a mouth on him, Swin." the bigger one remarked, cracking his knuckles. Sides decided he didn't like that mech. "Yeah! Go away, fragging aftlicking afthead!"

The one previously called Swin laughed long and hard at that. "Vortex, I do believe those are the younglings everyone's been talking about."

"Younglings? _What_ younglings? There _are_ no younglings!" Vortex said, not believing a word of what Swindle was saying, despite very concrete proof in front of him.

Swindle raised an optical ridge at his companion. "Really? Then what I am seeing must be an optical illusion. Perhaps we should find out what energon we drank to cause it." He rolled his optics. "Because I am seeing two red and yellow younglings. Both of which know some interesting swears."

The jeep bent down quickly, snagging Sunstreaker by his scruff bar and hefting him into the air. "Rather puny, ain't ya?"

Sunstreaker stared wide optic'd at the jeep, before he twisted ineffectually in the grip. "Leggo!"

Sideswipe also was not one bit pleased with this. "Yeah! Put my brother down slagface!" He kicked at the tan shinguard to make his point.

Swindle chuckled. "Feel pretty real to me, too."

Vortex rolled his optics behind his visor. 'Fine. So there's younglings. What do you want _me_ to do about it, throw a fragging party? Sheesh, they're more trouble than they're worth. Can't _do_ nothin' with 'em, they break too easy, and all they do is scream and cry when you try and play with 'em."

Swindle looked down at the mechling who was currently gnawing on his leg. "Stop that, or I'll_ let_ Vortex have you as a toy. You wouldn't like that. He breaks his toys." Sideswipe's optics grew even bigger at that, and he reached up with both arms, wailing in a high, thin voice. "Gimme! Gimme Sunny! My brother! Nononononono!"

Sunstreaker took up the chant. "Nonononononono!"

Swindle and Vortex both flinched, the former holding the yellow sparkling at arm's length as if he had cosmic rust.

Vortex covered his audials, scowl on his faceplates. "Fragging make it stop, Swin! That's more annoying than Brawl trying to get Onlsaught to play a game with him!"

His gestalt mate had to agree and the Combaticon gave Sunstreaker a good shake, snapping an irritable, "Stop that or I'll drop you!"

Both twins mouths snapped shut, optics wide. Swindle snorted. "Better. Fragging useless is what you are. Bet you'd make me more money as parts than whole."

Sunstreaker couldn't take it anymore. The poor little mechling was tired, he was scared, and this afthead was threatening to make spare parts out of him. He thrashed as hard as he could, kicking and screaming and biting with every movement. Sideswipe looked afraid; this was like that _one_ time, when Sunstreaker had beaten up the youngling that was twice his size. But these mechs were way bigger than that, so Sides was scared for his twin, suddenly very, _very_ scared. His screech could have woken the dead, and footsteps came rushing up the hallway, revealing two small figures around the same size as the twins, and a catlike figure that growled loudly at the Combaticons.

"Hey! Afthead! Pick on someone yer own size!" The bluish small mech shouted, waving a fist in the air. The black, beast bot slunk foward still growling and occasionally hissing at the two.

"Or what, runt?" Vortex cackled. "You'll jump and _try_ to hit my face?"

Swindle snickered beside him, giving Sunstreaker another good shake. The yellow mechling whimpered, staring wide optic'd at the floor that seemed so far down. Sideswipe stared up at his brother.

"No. I'll do this!" And the cassette launched himself at the jeep with a war whoop, servo transforming into a pile driver and slamming down on his foot.

Swindle howled in pain, releasing Sunstreaker who screeched in fear as he plunged towards the ground. He never hit it, instead being met with an 'oof' and solid arms under his back and legs. He immediately clung to the presence, the black and red cassette backing out of reach of the bigger mechs.

Vortex was laughing at his gestaltmate's predicament; anyone who got their aft kicked by one of Soundwave's brats deserved whatever he got. He was annoyed by the screeching, though, and his longer reach and greater speed allowed him to reach of the little red one, his hand moving far too fast for most mechs to intercept.

Most mechs except one modeled after a feral cat, that is. Ravage swiped out with one of her paws, ripping the plating on Vortex's hand, and grabbed the youngling by the collar fairing in her mouth, dragging him back. Swindle was still shrieking from the pain in his foot; it was literally flattened in places, as those pile drivers were _strong_.

"Frag you and your fragged up gestalt, anyway." Rumble said. "Or Ravage'll rip you a new intake, except it'll be where your aft USED to be."

Sideswipe laughed weakly at this; the mental image was kinda funny.

"This is all well 'n good, but c'mon Rumble! Let's book it!" Frenzy hollered, still holding Sunstreaker in his arms. For his size, Sunstreaker was surprisingly heavy.

Rumble snorted, slamming his pile driver on Swindle's foot once more and then racing after his twin, cackling. Ravage seized Sideswipe's collar fairing again and lifted him, the mechling curling into a ball in surprise and fear at the enraged howling that followed their quick escape down the hall.

The cassette twins and Ravage knew where they were headed, and they made it in record time, the door opening almost as soon as they approached it. They walked inside and deposited the twins on the floor, and Sideswipe looked around curiously. He saw the instrument from before in here!

Sunstreaker was still trembling in his anger, though, his emotional state still out of control. He turned on Frenzy as if he were about to hit him, but Sideswipe grabbed his hand and _concentrated_.

::_Sunny. SUNNY. Is okay. They're no bigger'n us. Safe. Calm down, please. Calm down for me. You're gonna hurt somethin'. Please Sunny_.::

Icy optics slid over Sideswipe, making him shiver just a little...and the color began to return. Sunstreaker flopped on the floor, almost strutlessly, utterly exhausted.

Rumble snickered and Frenzy elbowed him hard. "What?" He asked incredulously.

Ravage glared at both her brothers, huffing a bit before slinking to the twins, nudging Sunstreaker until the mechlet stood with a whine. She then nudged a confused Sideswipe closer to his brother before she herded both of them to the pillows on the floor and encouraged them to climb in. Sunstreaker curled on his side against the soft surface, Sideswipe settling next to his brother.

"Who're you?" He asked, voice edging into static with his exhaustion.

"Rumble and Frenzy, and the furball's Ravage." Ravage growled at the furball comment. "We're twins, like you, and you're at our house. Recharge here for right now. When 'Wave gets home, he'll know what to do." Frenzy explained.

Sideswipe hardly heard anything past their names, Sunstreaker already deep in recharge and in no time at all, he was too, lulled by the sound of his brother's systems.

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><p><strong>And there ya go! Reviews will keep us happy. And happy authors = Safe twins!<strong>


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 for you guys :D Lots of fun and drama and angst and humor in this one XD The lovely Daerenys Starcatcher and I had some hold up due to computer problems on my side but mostly fixed now :) So here you go!**

**Disclaimer: Not ours. I wish. I want a mini Sunny**

**Edit: Missed an entire paragraph right at the end, but fixed now :)**

**Enjoy :}**

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><p>"Ha!" Sunstreaker crowed in delight, watching his 'car' outrace Rumble's on the glass screen. It had taken some explaining after the Twins had awoken that they were okay here, but once the intial confusion and fear had passed, they were more than happy to intereact with these mechs who were the same size as they were. Rumble had immediately snagged one of them, which turned out to be Sunstreaker, and had set him down to teach him how to play the 'video games'.<p>

Once Sunstreaker had gotten the hand of it, he was a natural.

"Ya gotta be slaggin' me!" The lilac cassette groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.

Sunstreaker giggled and curled further into Ravage who had wrapped herself around the youngling. Sideswipe was curled up beside his brother, watching with interest. It wasn't like he had much choice. The last time he'd tried to get up to explore, Ravage and stuck her paw out and tugged him right back down.

He looked longingly at the lyraharp, wondering if one of them played it. "Hey, Frenzy. Who plays that?" He jerked his thumb at the lyraharp, tilting his head.

"Our creator." he said, disinterested. Soundwave's tastes in music definitely did NOT coincide with his creations', even though they all had the same perfect pitch that their creator enjoyed.

"I wanna play it." Sides insisted. Ravage shook her head in the negative and placed a paw on Sideswipe's legs, prohibiting him from getting up. He sighed deeply. This sucked. He wasn't any good at the games that Rumble and Sunny were playing, and Frenzy was busy working on something involving many small packets of paint.

"You won _again_! Not fair! You've played before, haven't you?" Sunstreaker just shook his head; no, he hadn't played it before. Not much chance to play weird looking games on the streets.

"Ah, slag you then." Rumble huffed, then yelped when the curse earned him a swipe from his sister. "Cut it out, Rav!"

The cat-cassette gave him a very unamused look.

Sunstreaker snickered, hiding his face behind the contorller when Ravage turned the look on him evena s he tried desperately to mute his giggles. Sideswipe took the distraction to wriggle away and bolt across the room to where Frenzy was, climbing up on the chair to see better.

"Whatch'a doin'?"

Frenzy glanced up at the youngling, giving him a wicked grin. "Making paint balloons. To get those sla- er, jerks back fer what they did to ya." He amended when Ravage hissed from her position.

Sideswipe's optics lit up. "I'm good at payback. Can I help?"

Frenzy looked carefully over at Ravage, then nodded cautiously. "Yeah. But don' tell _her_, or else...yeah, she's sat on me for worse."

Sideswipe nodded slowly, his optics wide. Ravage was _big_, that might hurt!

"See, you need to put the paint in here like this, then I'll heatseal it, so we don't get all messy with it too." Frenzy explained quietly.

"I don't care if I get messy!" Sides declared.

"If you got paint on you, they'll know you did it! When means big trouble, the kind that gets you squished when it comes to the fraggin' Combatis." Frenzy said, his optics narrowed. "You don't know much, do ya?"

"Do too! I know that if you kick a mech 'tween the legs it hurts like the Pit." Sides said sagely.

Frenzy snorted, offering the sparkling a lopsided grin.

Silence fell shortly after that, everyone absorbed in their tasks.

Sunstreaker proceeded to defeat Rumble six rounds straight in the racing game, which frustrated the cassette twin to no end. Sunny just smiled slightly, feeling relatively at ease around mechs his own size. And Ravage was warm.

He giggled softly, quietly documenting the different and creative words that the lilac cassette was spouting off until he got firmly whacked upside the helm by a black paw. He spent the rest of the time scowling. Ravage seemed satisfied with the silence and tugged the golden sparkling closer just as the door to their quarters slid open and two bird-beast mechs glided in to land on the big berth in the corner, followed by a big blue mech.

Sunstreaker's optics widened and he tried to scramble up and away, failing because of the cat-cassette that refused to let him go. He whimpered and buried into the warm plating instead. Sideswipe, feeling his brother's distress, turned and stared at the new mech, helm tilted to the side. His legs were tensed, however, as if prepared to jump and make a run for it.

The large blue mech did not look surprised at their presence here, which in itself was sort of odd. Sunstreaker figured that they must have told him somehow, using the comm. He didn't hear them do it, though...

"Ravage: well done." he said in a voice that was almost toneless; metallic, even. Sideswipe's optics widened further at hearing it; he sounded like a dumb machine, not a mech!

"Rumble, Frenzy: cease pranking and/or game activity for the moment and gather the twins." he ordered, and the cassette twins each rushed up to grab a hand, with Rumble urging Sunny forward, while Frenzy was dragging Sideswipe.

The red visor flashed, and the large mech stared down at the trembling little ones. Sideswipe squeaked. "Didn't do nothin'!"

"Sideswipe: aided brother in escaping custody of Conehead Trine."

Sides didn't understand some of the _words_, he talked like a teacher!

Sunstreaker pressed close to his brother and glared up defiantly even as he shook. "Leave 'im alone." He growled.

The visor flashed again and while Sunstreaker couldn't see the optics behind the visor, he could definitely feel them looking at him. He flinched a little, but his lips pressed together.

"Jus' wanted to go 'splorin..." Sideswipe mumbled, twisting his fingers together.

"Those OTHER seekers were stupid afts!" Sunny said firmly, and the cassette twins giggled at this. The large mech, for once, did not correct their language.

"Designation: Soundwave." the large mech said, pointing at himself. "Current location: my quarters. Companions: my creations."

Sideswipe's optics widened even more at this...Soundwave had five younglings by himself? He couldn't resist, though, he wanted it, wanted it, wanted it.

"'S that your lyraharp?" he asked timidly, pointing to the instrument.

Soundwave looked over at it, then at Sides, almost as if considering. "Yes."

Sunstreaker wondered what glitch made him /talk/ like that.

"Can...can I play it?" He stopped, remembering. "May I please play your lyraharp?"

"Sideswipe: proficient?" Soundwave asked.

"'S 'ficient mean?" Sideswipe was confused.

"Can ya play the slaggin' thing, he wants to know." Frenzy translated.

"Um...I'm...a little 'ficient." Sideswipe said softly.

Soundwave looked at the little youngling, who began to fidget under the stare, but never looked away. Then, Soundwave nodded. "Sideswipe's request: Granted."

"Huh?"

Rumble rolled his optics under his visor and pushed at the red shoulder slightly. "He means ya can play it."

Sideswipe beamed, but before he could run to it, the large blue hand stopped him. He looked up confused, and wary. It wouldn't be the first time an adult told him one thing only to take it back and laugh at him.

"Sideswipe: Will not handle it on his own." Soundwave said. "Condition: Myself or Frenzy is with you."

The red halfer nodded in understanding. He could do that. "'Kay. Can I play _now_?" He paused before adding, "Please."

other, and then to the casettes, who both nodded encouragingly. "Pops won't hurt ya." Rumble said.

"Rumble: 'Pops' is not Soundwave's designation." It wasn't said cruelly, though, and Rumble just laughed it off, so Sides thought that it was okay. He slowly walked over and looked up at the lyraharp. It was bigger than the one he remembered, but Soundwave lifted him slowly and put him on his lap, handing the red twin a set of fingerpicks...a small set, obviously made for smaller hands.

Sunstreaker watched every move the large mech made.

Sideswipe, with some fumbling, remembered how to put them on, and looked up for permission again before touching the strings lightly. It had been so long, especially for a little one, but as he offlined his optics, he remembered another voice.

*_Sides, this string is called the A. It's first, and it makes __**this**__ sound. Every chord is just sounds, mixed together to sound pretty. Just like Sunny mixes his fingerpaints to make those incredible reds and golds. Now. Touch it like this..._*

Slowly, the little hands strummed at the strings, sliding softly as he tried to remember the simple tune his kali had taught him a ling time ago. It really was a simple one, using only a few notes over and over, but he fell into the happy rhythm of memory and practice.

Sunstreaker, satisfied now that the big mech wouldn't do anything to hurt his brother, sat down and wrapped his arms around his knees as he listened.

Eventually, Soundwave brought his own hands up, tugging Sideswipe's away. Disappointment flashed through him for a moment, replaced by confusion when all the bigger mech did was reposition them.

Soundwave guided Sideswipe's hands for just a little while, showing him something almost as simple, but a little more... Ripply was the best word Sideswipe could come up with to explain it. His glossa poked outside his lips as he tried to watch and master what Soundwave was showing him, and when he thought he had it, he looked up into the red visor and nodded.

Sunstreaker found himself swaying slightly to the music; he hadn't heard the sound in a long time, and even though he had less than no talent in that area, he could and did like hearing it.

Soundwave lowered his hands, and Sideswipe tried the small piece on his own. There were a few mis-struck notes, at first, but Soundwave didn't stop him; Sideswipe started over on his own, and finally he got it. His tiny fingers danced over the strings he could reach, the sound not as full as it had been when Soundwave had been doing it, but larger hands could press harder on thick strings.

Sunstreaker felt pride well up in his spark, pride...and good memories, memories of a winged someone doing this with his twin, helping him make the melody.

His little faceplates twisted and he buried his face in his knees, want and sadness welling in his spark. Sideswipe continued to play, until the very last note, smiling softly, but looking like he was about to cry. Soundwave stroked the little black helm soothingly, and then the door chime buzzed.

The Decepticon Third in Command sent the command to open the door, and in stepped three very worried looking Seekers although Starscream's optics flashed when they landed on Soundwave. Soundwave made no reaction.

"_Staaaaaarrrrrrrrrr_." Sunny said, being uncharacteristically emotional in his happiness to see the Seeker. Starscream oofed lightly, tackled by a little yellow ball. Sunny hugged his legs, and pointed over to where Sides sat on Soundwave's lap.

"Sides can play! Listen to him!"

Sideswipe looked at the trine as if he might be in trouble, and Soundwave just didn't move.

Skywarp walked over to the two, and looked at Soundwave, a desire to snatch the youngling up warring with the desire to let Sides show what he could do. Finally, he settled on just standing nearby.

Thundercracker never took his optics off the cassettes; he couldn't stand them, young creations or not. He stood near the door, listing the dents and locations in his head that the Coneheads were going to receive for losing track of the twins.

Sideswipe's smile widened. "Star, Sky, Thunder! Listen!" He began to play again, and Starscream recognized the tune for what it was, a teaching-song for those beginning to learn the lyraharp. It wasn't a common instrument, but apparently the youngling had been exposed to one long before his time in this room. His little optics were squinched tight, and he swayed a little to the beat, his fingers moving with a skill that indicated that, with practice, he could be quite good indeed.

The little tune finished quickly and Sideswipe looked up, hopeful smile on his face, most likely waiting for his due praise. Skyward did take /that/ opportunity to snatch the mechling back and nuzzle at his faceplates. "Excellent, Little Red!"

Sideswipe's smile was so wide, Sunstreaker was surprised his brother didn't break his face in half.

Starscream stroked Sunstreaker's backplates before handing the sparkling to Thundercracker and moved to talk to Soundwave. The blue mech had gotten his fingerpicks back and set the instrument back up against the wall.

Sunstreaker watched his brother chat away at the ebony Seeker, something nagging at him. He turned wide, blue optics on Thundercracker. "Are we in trouble?" He asked quietly.

"A little." Thundercracker said, not one to lie to a youngling. "But we still won't hit you, won't deny you your energon...which you probably will be wanting soon...or leave you alone. Scrubbing our washracks sounds about right as a punishment, because even if the Coneheads were irresponsible enough to allow you to escape, you should not be running around the ship. How /did/ you get here, anyway?"

Sunstreaker shook his head, a little upset about having to scrub the 'racks all by himself, with on one but his twin to help him. But...

"Can I have a bath afterwards?" he asked softly. TC nodded firmly. "You're all dusty. You need one." Sunny smiled a little, then, less upset now.

Starscream approached the communications officer warily. "Soundwave."

The red visor flashed. "Starscream." he said, and Star thought he could hear a touch of sarcasm in his tone.

"Where did you find them?" Star asked, concerned.

"Twins: resting in Soundwave's quarters when shift concluded." Soundwave decided to forestall the rest of the question, since Starscream's voice was decidedly atonal to Soundwave's sensitive audials, and he disliked hearing it more than he had to. "Combaticons Vortex and Swindle accosted twins in hallway directly south of this location. Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage: retrieved twins, ensured safety here. Combaticons: not stupid enough to cross Soundwave."

Starscream's wings hiked up high and he nodded. "Very well. I am sure you have important things to be doing," The tone in his voice clearly stated he did not think so. "So we will get out of your way."

He turned, strutting across the room and to the door. "Thundercracker, Skywarp, bring the Twins. We are going."

Sideswipe's face fell a little. "Can we come back and play?"

Starscream snorted, but before he could say anything, Thundercracker answered.

"We will see, Sideswipe. For now, we need to get you back for your evening energon."

The red twin nodded, smiling and waving from Skywarp's arms as they left, "Bye! See ya soon!"

"Ya better come back!" Rumble called after them. "I still gotta kick Sunshine's aft at that slaggin' ga- OW! Fraggit Rav! Cut that out!"

The door shut on the quickly escalating sibling quarrel.

The Seekers carried the only slightly-protesting twins back to their quarters, and Thundercracker promptly served them their evening, smiling at them as they clambered up onto the table to have it.

Starscream tried to look stern. "Why did you run away from the Coneheads?"

"Cos they're stupid." Sides said promptly, sipping his ration far more sedately now that he knew he'd get it regularly.

"Their punishment has been named, Starscream." Thundercracker interrupted. "After rations, instead of art time or vidscreen, they will clean our newly repaired 'racks. And then take a bath."

Starscream nodded, Sideswipe whined. "No bath!"

Sunstreaker, while he didn't look particularly thrilled about cleaning anything, did seem to perk up more at the prospect of the bath.

"You're getting one." Starscream said sternly. "Look at you, you're absolutely filthy!"

"Nuh-uh! Been dirtier! One time I fell in that black sticky stuff they make the roads with and Sunny thought I got my paint changed!"

"You're still getting one if Skywarp has to sit on you." Starscream said, prompting a loud "HEY!" from Skywarp. Sky stuck out his glossa at his trineleader, and Sideswipe giggled hard, blowing bubbles into his cube.

"Don't play with your ration." Thundercracker said, rolling his optics. "And the longer you delay, the longer you will be cleaning. The supplies await you."

"Frag." Sideswipe said sourly.

Starscream just raised a single optic ridge. "Soundwave's younglings can say it!"

Starscream promptly said, "Soundwave's younglings recharge in his chest during nightcycle too. Do you want to do that as well?"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker looked at each other in surprise. Then, as one they turned and asked in perfect syncrocy, "You can do that?"

That prompted loud guffaws from Skywarp and BOTH eye ridges raised on Starscream. Thundercracker looked amused and like he was trying to hide a smile behind his own cube.

"Er, well, _they_ can." Starscream clarified.

Sideswipe moves up on Skywarp and peered into his cockpit glass. "Would I fit in there?"

Skywarp laughed _hard_. "Um, no. Not in this form. But if I turned into my jet form, you could. Both of you could."

In unison: "_WE WANNA_!" Even Sunstreaker was loud about this. At the idea of flight, both of their little sparks started whirling in their chests, and they felt excited.

"If you're good." Starscream said, giving Skywarp a long look.

"And if you finish your punishments without complaining." Thundercracker added. Both twins made a face, but didn't comment, instead quickly finishing their energon quickly and making to climb down. Skywarp snatched them back up, smiling. "Remember that trick I was gonna show you?"

Sideswipe nodded, Sunstreaker trying to remember. Skywarp's optics lit with amusement. "Hold on tight."

Before Thundercracker or Starscream could protest, Skywarp activated his warp drive and disappeared with the Twins in a flash of purple and loud VOIP. Then they could hear squealing excitement coming from the washwracks. Starscream sighed.

"He's going to be just as much of a problem as the Twins are turning out to be." The trineleader grumbled.

The twins actually grinned as they picked up the cleaning solution and rags, cleaning the not-very-dirty washrack with much splashing and shrieking. Like most younglings, they turned it into a game. Starscream peeked in and found the twins working busily, their plating starting to shine from the work they were doing. Sunstreaker had turned on the hot water, supposedly to aid in the job, but was sneaking long "breaks" under it, looking very pleased and content.

"They're really something, aren't they?" Skywarp said.

Starscream turned to Skywarp who was leaning by the door, optics riveted on the scene, and gave his trinemate a questioning look.

"I mean," Skywarp waved an arm at them. "Not 48 joors ago, they were hardened, battle ready-to-rip-off-our-wings Autoscum and now..." He trailed off, crossing his arms in front of him, looking thoughtful. "I guess I never pictured just what their life must have been like... Or even what they were like so small."

"What their lives were like was...unthinkable, Skywarp." Thundercracker noted softly from where he had followed Starscream. "That is probably a large reason as to why they were the way they were. Maybe they had an innate hatred of Seekers, due to perceived abandonment by one...? I don't know. What I do know is this..."

Thundercracker stood and gazed toward the twins. "It won't happen this time."

Sunny shrieked as Sideswipe hit him in the face with a wet towel, and he retaliated with a handful of suds from his bucket, watching the grime slide off red plating in a sludgy stream. He wrinkled his olfactory components. "Yuck, Sides."

"What?"

"Your dirt is dirty." Sunstreaker pointed out. "Look."

Sideswipe giggled. "Dirt can_not_ be dirty. It is dirty. Or something. Are we _done_ yet?"

The racks didn't quite sparkle, but they smelled better, and the twins themselves were a lot cleaner than when they entered. Skywarp peered in and motioned Thundercracker over to check, since he'd been the one to assign the punishment.

TC looked around and nodded; good enough for younglings.

Sunstreaker grinned and reached up for Thundercracker without even really realizing it. The blue Seeker bent down and lifted the youngling up, snagging a rag from one of the shelves. "Well, now that the washwracks are cleaned, let's get the two of _you_ cleaned as well."

Sideswipe's happy cheer at being done cut off with a squeal and he made a break for the door, only to be snagged by the collar fairing and hoisted up by Starscream, who promptly handed him over to Skywarp. His purple and black wingmate scowled at him, but dutifully trudged with the squirming sparkling back into the washwracks.

Starscream watched for a moment, Thundercracker with the very content looking Sunstreaker who was letting his blue caretaker scrub him down and Skywarp wrestling with the very loudly protesting Sideswipe. He shook his helm with a frown and retreated to his berth where he picked up the census records again and skimmed through everything they had already crossed off.

This was getting to be a problem. How was it that they could not find a Seeker with a grounder mate and possible twin sparks? Even if the Seeker had moved out of Vos, it was entirely possible that records were still kept at least on the sparklings as citizens born to his city-state.

And maybe that was it.

Maybe they were looking under the wrong categories. Perhaps they should stop looking at mated history and start looking at medical records.

Starscream's optics lit up with his sudden epiphany and he quickly accessed the long forgotten medical records that only the Wing Lord was privy to aside from medics. Once he had pulled those up he input two words.

'**Split Sparks**'

There were, to his knowledge, no twin-sparked seekers. However, Seekers bearing grounder twin-sparks... The datapad bleeped at him and he looked down at it, a smile forming on his face. There were exactly two entries.

One pair was obviously not these twins. The creators, Blade Wind and Warhammer, had lost their split-spark twins upon attempted transfer from their carrier to their new frames. This was not uncommon; it was the single leading cause of nonsurvival of spilt-spark twins. They ended before they ever got really started. He skimmed over Blade Wind's delivery records, and shuddered at the clinical explanations of the loss of two new lives.

The second, though... The sire, a large grounder known as Burnover, had taken his Seeker mate away from Vos shortly after their twins had been placed into their frames. The Seeker, a musician whose designation was Zephyr, had had a difficult time with the delivery, and had been rendered unable to carry without significant danger to his own functioning.

The records said little about personality, but there were some odd notations, a history of minor accidents in Zephyr's regular checkup visits. Nothing serious, on the surface- twisted wings from misjudging corners and walls, occasional loss of balance, and whatnot.

Starscream hmm'ed at all this, his lips forming a thin line. Then he was interrupted by a damp, but incredibly shiny, yellow presence demanding lap space. He smelled of wax and had a grin bright enough to rival the stars themselves.

"Thunder _waxed_ me a little, Star!"

"Did he now?" Starscream smirked, the sparkling's excitement contagious. "Well you do look quite a bit shinier now that I look."

Sunstreaker preened under the attention, just like a Seeker would. Starscream fought a chuckle, and set the sparkling more comfortably in his lap and unsubspaced a rag to finish drying him off. "How is your brother doing?"

The yellow halfer grinned. "Sky's all wet now! And Siders got held upside down which made him laugh and he got a buncha water in his mouth 'cause of it, but Thunder didn' like that too much."

That had been quite the speech coming from Sunstreaker. "Oh really?"

"Nope. He said that if Sky dropped 'im he would pin 'im up by his vents."

Starscream couldn't help but smile at this mental image, and he didn't doubt for a second that Thundercracker would _do_ it, too, if Skywarp dropped the little one. Starscream dried the mechling carefully so that he didn't streak the fresh wax; he was willing to bet that Sunny would be quite upset if he did that. He decided to ask Sunstreaker something while he sat.

"I have a question, Sunny, that maybe you can answer for me." He rubbed the younling's back with the cloth, buffing out a scratch that TC had missed.

"What, Star?" Sunstreaker was in a very good mood; he was willing to try and help.

"Have you ever heard the name Zephyr?" Starscream tensed slightly, hoping there wouldn't be a negative reaction.

Sunstreaker's little faceplates screwed up in concentration for a moment. "Nuh-uh. Don't think so."

Starscream frowned slightly. "How about the name Burnover?"

The little body froze, going stiff and straight before beginning to tremble. Sunstreaker curled in on himself just as quickly as he had stiffened, tiny voice frightened. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to sire! I'm sorry!"

Thundercracker came running out of the 'racks to see what was wrong. What he saw was Sunstreaker huddled as if absolutely terrified, both toward and away from Starscream, arms up as if warding off a blow. He kept shrieking at the top of his voice.

"I'm sorry! Sorry! Don't hurt him! Don't hurt him! Please! Please sire, he didn't mean to! It was me. I did it! Was me!" He almost literally rolled off Starscream's lap, scurrying like a glitchmouse to the corner of the room, his optics almost white in fear, unseeing.

The datapad cracked in Starscream's grip, circuits smoking slightly and filling the room with the odor of scorched wiring.

Thundercracker stared, bewildered as a confused Skywarp dragging a very pouty but clean Sideswipe followed shortly after. Sideswipe's expression changed from angry pout to instant worry when he saw and heard his brother and Skywarp was quick to put him down in fear of dropping him as he flung himself towards his brother.

"Sunny! Sunny, what happened? Sunny!" Sideswipe's voice was quickly edging to hysterical.

"HIDE, Sides!" Sunstreaker yelled. "Is him! Red and yellow! Burnover's here somewhere and he's gonna...no not again... Gotta run!" Sunny looked blindly for an exit, _any _exit. In his fear, all he saw in front of him was a tall winged figure, and his mind supplied the rest, his memory telling him that he needed to help...

He grabbed Skywarp's hand. "You gotta come on, kali, or he'll get you again. I'll 'tect you. I'm your strong mech, 'member? C'mon, _go_! You and Sides. Now!" Tears ran down his face when Skywarp, standing there _stunned_, didn't move an inch.

"S-sunny... Is Sky..." Sideswipe said, absolutely terrified and having no idea what was going on with his twin. He'd heard Burnover, the name of their sire, but he wasn't here. Skywarp wasn't their kali. Kali was pretty white and green. And was bigger than Sky.

"C'mon kali, c'mon!" Sunstreaker cried, barely able to see through the coolant.

He shrieked when he was lifted into the air, curling in on himself as if expecting to be struck. Instead he was tucked into a firm embrace and a soft but scratchy voice sang in his audial and a hand rubbed at his back. His shrieking quieted down until his vision cleared to look at red plating and golden cockpit.

"... Star?" His voice was so weak and unsure it broke the Seekers' sparks to hear it.

Starscream swallowed. "Yes, bitlet. It's me."

Sunstreaker shook and then wailed; burying his face in Starscream's chest and holding onto plating desperately.

Starscream's motions were gentle, his touch soothing...but the look in his crimson optics promised slow death, and even Sideswipe knew that nobody in this room was the target. His trinemates were stunned, particularly Skywarp, who'd been involved in Sunstreaker's horrible flashback.

"What was-" Skywarp started.

"Don't, Sky. Please." Starscream said softly, the murder in his optics fading to pain, a spark-deep sadness at the realization of what _had_ happened to these two and what they'd probably had to witness in their short lives. "Later."

Skywarp just nodded, uncharacteristically silent and subdued. He picked Sideswipe up and placed him on his berth, handing him the squashed Seeker plushie that Sides had unearthed the previous cycle. "Time to recharge, Little Red. Okay?" Sides nodded, optics wide, and looked at his twin. He almost never ercharged without him, but... He bit his lip. He'd try, for right now.

Sunstreaker's sobs were evening out a little, but not because of calm. It was exhaustion and emotional overload that finally claimed the mechling, pushing him into a restless recharge, and still Starscream held him close, unwilling to put him down until Thundercracker looked pointedly at his trineleader.

"You have bridge duty in half a breem, Starscream." he said softly.

"Frag duty, frag Megatron, and..." Starscream grew quiet as Sunstreaker stirred slightly, a frown on his handsome little face. He relented, placing him next to his wide-awake twin brother, whose optics offlined almost immediately after his twin's warn frame was pressed next to his.

Starscream cast a look over the two younglings, faceplates darkening once more in anger. Things were starting to click into place, mannerisms (even as adults) making more sense then they ever had before. He turned to his trine. "Thundercracker, search Decepticon records for any mech called Burnout." The Air Commander seriously doubted the mech would ever have become an Autobot if what he was thinking was true. "If the mech's lucky, he'll already be offline. I'll be on the bridge."

And he left, without an explanation, leaving a cracked, smoking and barely flickering datapad on the small table by the door.

Skywarp and Thundercracker just looked at each other, stunned by Sunstreaker's outburst as well as by their trineleader's. It was obvious what had happened to the twins, and to the twins' carrier as well...used and broken by this 'Burnout' mech. Thundercracker immediately set to work, sitting at his station and accessing Decepticon records to discover what he could.

The black and violet Seeker stood, walking over to the berth where the twins lay in their fitful recharge. He placed a hand on each of them, not really knowing what to do- he'd never been around younglings before, not since he himself had been one. Skywarp wasn't very old to begin with- he was the youngest of the trine by more than a few vorn, and it showed in both his inexperience and his attitude. War matured him somewhat, but Skywarp still longed for what he'd never really had- a true young life. This civil war had stolen that from him...yet now, after seeing the aftermath of something far worse than he'd ever experienced, he considered himself lucky, compared to the younglings.

When TC finally decided to take a break from his search, he found Skywarp knelt on the floor next to the berth in full recharge, each hand being firmly held by a twin, with his head across their laps.

The eldest of the trine blinked in surprise and then shook his helm with a small smile. This, if nothing else, would teach Skywarp the meaning of responsibility. It was their luck that he had taken to it so well. He walked over himself, brushing a servo gently over Skywarp's helm and wing then moving it to carefully wipe at Sunstreaker's still-wet faceplates. He settled on the edge of the berth, watching the three as they recharged, the younglings instinctively curled into Skywarp and each other.

He contemplated as he watched, one thumb absently smoothing over one of Sideswipe's audio horns. The sparkling shifted, but otherwise didn't stir although his small engine seemed to purr. The blue Seeker's grin widened.

When Starscream returned, the scene before him consisted of two large Seekers who were going to be quite sore when they onlined- Skywarp still flopped half over the berth, and Thundercracker curled up on the end of it as if guarding the three of them even while unconscious. A smile touched Star's lips, at that- and he couldn't resist taking an image capture, keeping this moment for all time within his meta. He moved quietly, noticing that Thundercracker's screen was still on and dimly glowing. He moved toward it, seating himself at the desk chair, and swore softly as he read the information contained therein.

Burnout was still alive. He had in fact become a Decepticon, listing his status as 'unbonded without dependents' when they still cared about such things. Nowadays they handed you a gun and warned you not to get your aft shot off. He had been assigned to General Strika's forces, which he took to not at all; he was reprimanded countless times for disrespect to his superiors, earning himself brig time, ration reduction, and likely far worse in his tenure.

Then he was made second lieutenant of a small raiding team, and something had happened. No one knew what, because Burnout wasn't talking and the other five mechs were deactivated, and deactivated messily at that. Burnout has been caught with their fluids still on his hands, their bodies lying haphazardly about their temporary quarters, and yet he said not a word, allowing them to take him to tribunal.

At this tribunal he was sentenced to death, and this was still during a time when a _true_ Decepticon warrior was still offered death at the hands of his Lord. Megatron, for reasons unknown to anyone, had commuted his sentence, placing him indefinitely into the Detention Center on Cybertron, where, according to Shockwave's obsessive records, he remained.

A small whine drew his attention to the berth where Sunstreaker was stirring, twisting and trying to unwind himself from the others. Starscream immediately pushed the displeased anger away and crossed to the berth, carefully moving Skywarp's helm from off Sunstreaker's legs and picked up the small yellow thing. He situated him in the crook of one arm, staring down as his optics onlined dimly and he stretched with a small sound.

"Awake, bitlet?" He chuckled, stroking down the small grey cheek.

"Mnf..." Sunny groaned, swatting at the hand softly and making Starscream chuckle again.

Starscream carried him over to a much less crowded berth, seating himself so that Sunny could stretch out, or curl close, as he wished. The small, warm frame felt _right_ in his arms, and Starscream vowed yet again that the mech who had harmed these two would most certainly pay for it, with his life...but only after he felt the fear that Sunny had felt while trying to protect his carrier from him.

"Nnnnn...kali...tired..." Sunny mumbled, rolling over slightly...and Starscream almost broke. He gathered up the tiny golden frame and held him close, wanting to cry...but that had been lost to him for more vorns than this one had seen.

When one had hurt for too long, you stopped remembering how to cry.

Starscream intended to ensure that Sunstreaker still could, when he grew up.

Starscream leaned back, letting Sunstreaker wake up on his own time, and he did so rather quickly. soon his optics were bright and blinking blearily at his surroundings before focusing in on Starscream's face and a small, hesitant smile formed. Starscream smiled back and the tiny smile widened, a little hand reaching up to touch Starscream's face before he seemed to realize that he wasn't _supposed_ to be happy right now and he snatched his hand back with a small frown.

Starscream sighed internally. It would take more work, but he was determined to get through it. "Hello, Sunstreaker. Awake now?"

Sunstreaker's gaze lifted from his hand to Starscream's face again and he nodded.

"'M hungry." Sunny said clearly. This was a change from the mechling who'd hissed at his brother not to ever ever say such things, and Starscream acknowledged it for what it was, lifting the halfer up and onto the table. He prepared morning rations for everyone, seeing as Thundercracker was apparently recharging late this cycle. He stirred in the supplements that were kept on a shelf, and Sunny pointed.

"What's that stuff?" He wrinkled his olfactories.

"Same stuff that's been in your rations since you've been here, little one. The medic said that your frame was missing some elements, and these replace them. You don't taste it, do you?" Sunny shook his head, sipping at his cube. "Nope. Tastes good. Not like sl- um, not bad." he corrected himself.

The others were beginning to stir, with Sideswipe looking briefy panicked until he saw Skywarp's head on his legs and could see/sense Sunny on the table. He sat up, stretching, and looked at TC curled up at the foot of the berth. He giggled softly. "Looks like a big ol' blue cybercat, he does."

Starscream grinned, Sunstreaker just watching his brother over the edge of his cube as he drank at it. Sideswipe managed to worm his way out from under Skywarp with some effort, but he looked proud of himself when he managed. His grin was bright and cheerful, and his otics twinkled. Starscream was easily picking up on the Seeker traits much quicker now that they knew.

"Would you mind waking up the 'cybercat' for me, Sideswipe?" He smirked, mixing the second little cube. "He has work this cycle. And so does your purple and black menace."

Sideswipe giggled and crawled across the berth to Thundercracker, patting at his face. "C'mon TC. Gotta get up. Star says so!"

Thundercracker grumbled, wings twitching back, but otherwise not moving and Sideswipe frowned, looking thoughtful before his face lit up in wicked glee and he stood, arms spread wide. "CATCH THE SEEKER!" He squealed, jumping and practically faceplanting the seeker's face.

Thundercracker almost, almost threw Sideswipe to the floor in what would have been a reflexive, but still painful maneuver, but he remembered at the last moment and grabbed the mechling, swooping him in the sky as if he were flying. "My face is not your airstrip, young one." he noted softly, sitting up. "Come, fly for your rations. I need to visit the 'racks before my shift. Skywarp needs waking, though." Thundercracker smiled and placed Sides on his feet on the berth.

Sideswipe nodded quickly and pounced on Skywarp, standing on his back in what seriously reminded TC and Star of their jet judo practices. "Up, Sky. UP. Star says. So get up." Skywarp mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'go frag yourself with a freight train', but he quickly shut up when he onlined his optics to the shining, smiling face of what was quickly becoming his favorite little companion.

He scooped the red twin up, and 'flew' him next to his brother, sitting at the table with a hard thunk of his head. "Never rechargin' like that again, I hurt on top of my hurt!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Starscream snorted in amusement, the purple and black seeker waving him off with a 'whatever'. Sideswipe prodded at his helm while he drank his morning ration before declaring loudly, "I'm gonna be jus' like you Sky!"

Starscream and Thundercracker both choked on their rations, Starscream spluttering as he coughed to clear his intakes and Thundercracker looking horrified at the idea.

Skywarp's helm tilted up with a beam. "Oh really?" He grinned. "Takes a lot of work to be me, Little Red."

"I c'n do it! I'm good at hard work!"

"Can you do what I do, though? And I still haven't forgotten to take you flying." Skywarp said, nodding to emphasize his point. "Just can't do it now, because I have stupid monitor duty."

Thundercracker asked Starscream, "Did you find the-"

"Yes." And Star's tone was so cold that it would have likely frozen fire. "I have it. And I will remember it." He glanced at his trinemates warningly. The twins seemed to be okay for the moment; ruining that would do none of them any good.

TC nodded shortly and headed to the 'racks, and Sunstreaker looked longingly after him. He gulped down the remainder of his ration and cocked his head. "May I..." Starscream nodded and Sunny ran off to join Thundercracker in the 'racks; the larger Seeker might finish first, but Sunny was old enough to take care of himself.

Skywarp continued to frumble about his shift, thinking to himself how much he'd rather stay here and play with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker until Starscream chased him out.

Sideswipe's happy giggles followed him out the door along with the image of a very content and clearly waxed Sunstreaker as he came out of the washwracks just as he left. Skywarp smiled to himself, likeing the feeling of floating on air despite being miles below the ocean. He thought over the morning with a happy haze that not even the dread of boring monitor duty could get through and then he stopped, optics widening in surprise.

For the first time in vorns, there hadn't been a fight between the trine as they started their days.

* * *

><p>Starscream pondered things, then realized that there was only one solution. He called to the twins. "Sideswipe. Sunstreaker. Would you like to visit Rumble and Frenzy?"<p>

The twins both nodded vigorously; that sounded like fun. "Sure!" "Better'n those Cone-fraggers."

"Sideswipe." Starscream warned, and the red mechling looked embarrassed. "Sorry. Star."

He led them out of their quarters to Soundwave's, where four cassettes and Soundwave himself were 'relaxing'; it was their off-shift this cycle. Star cursed under his breath and eyed the telepath. He opened his mouth to speak-

"Query: May younglings visit with cassettes?" Soundwave asked. Starscream just stared at Soundwave and nodded; this made things easier, as he didn't have to /ask/. The two halfers ran under Starscream's legs, heading to the Ravage-free pillow pile to play video games. Soundwave spoke once more. "Query: Permission to continue instruction on lyraharp?"

"Yes." Star said, surprised that Soundwave would even offer.

Soundwave nodded once to show he had heard and appreciated the consent before he shut the doors. Starscream scowled at them, but really couldn't find the time to be angry over the telepath shutting them in his face. It saved him from any awkward thank-you's.

That taken care of and Thundercracker's update from where he had joined Skywarp on monitor duty, Starscream strutted down the halls of the Nemesis, searching for his prey.

* * *

><p>There wasn't a Combaticon present anywhere. Starscream queried the central system and got a null result; not uncommon, not when Vortex was doing something he shouldn't, but Starscream headed to their personal area on the Nemesis, his temper having plenty of time to stoke itself and seethe.<p>

He didn't bother pinging the door; as SIC, his overrides were more than sufficient to gain entrance, and since he was a far better programmer than Megatron was unless Soundwave had rewritten the Slag-Maker's own overrides, Starscream's were better than even his. When the door slid open, he caught sight of Onslaught and Blast Off lounging around, not doing much of anything. Swindle, Vortex, and Brawl were nowhere to be seen.

"Where's the glitches?" Starscream commanded, cycling a bit of power to his null-rays. "Where are the glitches who think it's hilarious to torment small mechlings...mechlings under_ my_ protection?"

Onslaught regarded the SIC with something akin to distaste. "I'm afraid I cannot answer your question, Air Commander." He said rather calmly.

Starscream growled, wings flaring higha nd optics glinting menacingly. "Really, Onslaught? You're going to play stupid with me? I really don't suggest it." He took a step closer although this only seemed to amuse the Combaticon.

"They're in rec room three." Blast Off said flatly, visor locked on the datapad he was still reading.

Starscream shot him an odd look, questioning underneath all the menace. Onslaught was displeased and it showed. Without another word, wings flared as high as they would go, Starscream turned to stomp from the room, stopping only when Onslaught made a very rude noise in the back of his throat.

"You should not have said anything." Onslaught growled dangerously. It was not normally Blast Off who was the problem.

The shuttle former snorted, shoving the datapad at his gestalt leader. "I do my research."

Onslaught blinked, and read over the pad quickly. "Huh." He mumbled, setting it down. "That explains quite a bit."

"Indeed. If you;ll remember Wildrider two or three cycles ago?" Onslaught nodded. "I was on monitor duty. The Stunticon barely even touched him. And that landed him in the medbay with a missing arm and optic." he paused in the silence that followed. "And what we both know from Swindle and Vortex..."

"They dug their own grave." Onslaught said shortly, not at all pleased. "As long as they don't die, I don't care."

I'm not going to offline them. Bruticus is still needed by this army. But by everything that's still sacred, they are going to _regret_ fragging with _my_ younglings." Starscream said coldly, stalking out of the room toward Rec Room 3.

"_His_ younglings?" Onslaught said questioningly to Blast Off as the door shut.

"Seekers imprint on younglings nearly as quickly as younglings imprint upon them. And once one of the flying menaces decides that the bitlet is theirs, well..." Blast Off shrugged with one shoulder. "Only a fool would get between them and their charge."

"Vortex never was known for his processing speed." Onslaught said flatly.

* * *

><p>This door, by necessity, was not locked. It <em>was <em>sparsely occupied, though, and the three gestaltmates dominated the worm-looking couches that the Constructicons had been bribed to make. The television was on, blaring some inane action movie, and Starscream held out his arm and fired on it, the null ray immediately severing delicate electronic connections and rendering the thing useless.

"What the frag-" Vortex turned, and if he hadn't been wearing his facemask Starscream would have seen the look of dismay.

He stopped, taking in the aggressive stance of the SIC. Huh, so the Screamer was spoiling for a fight then. Not that he could remember doing anything to frag the Seeker off, but whatever. Brawl stared sadly at where the useless television hung on the wall, smoking. Swindle, of course, was far more vocal in his displeasure.

"Do you even know what this /cost/ me?" He cried, hands gesturing wildly. "I had to barter for that!"

He shut up immediately when another null ray blast missed his helm by a fraction of an inch, smoking in the wall above his helm.

"I don't give a flying frag at a blazing comet _what_ you paid for that thing, Swindle." Starscream hissed, advancing on the smaller mech to pick him up by the neck.

"How does this feel, I wonder? To be lifted by one larger than yourself, to be at my mercy? Because if you try a single...fragging...thing, I will blast a hole in your processor large enough to put my _hand_ through." Swindle immediately stopped moving, and even Vortex stopped- Starscream was apparently serious about this.

Brawl advanced on Starscream until another shot grazed his foot, and he backed off in a hurry, eyeing the SIC as if he'd lost his mind.

"What do you want, Commander?" Swindle gasped, the compression on his main energon line causing his vision to fade in and out. "I can get you anythi-"

"Leave the twins alone." Starscream said, slamming the slimy mech down onto the floor, the sound of something breaking almost deafening in the small room. He turned to Vortex, whose visor lit up warily. "Now, Starscream..." he said, hands out wide.

"Shut the frag up, Vortex." Starscream moved, then, but it wasn't for the copter's neck. Vortex was too large for that. It was for his blades, and Starscream grabbed one in each hand and bent, anger giving him strength. To Vortex's credit, he didn't cry out. It had to hurt like Pit, though, especially when the top third snapped off in Starscream's hand, the broken bit dripping energon from where it had cut the Seeker.

He didn't even notice the injury.

Instead he slammed his elbow into the Copter's face, visor shattering and mask denting with the surprising force from the slight frame. Swindle pushed himself up, scurrying backwards for the door and the Seeker whirled, kicking him solidly in the stomach. Swindle fell to the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning.

"If either of you _ever_ touch my younglings again, you can expect far worse." He said voice soft and almost snakelike.

"Uhuh. Got it. Right." Swindle groaned, writhing on the floor. Brawl was _long_ gone, having decided that the company way a just a little bit too insane for his liking (and that was saying something, being gestalt-bound with _Vortex_).

Vortex couldn't speak through his mouth, but his comm worked just fine. ::_Don't leave 'em alone, Screamer_.:: he hissed, beyond angry. Starscream raised an optic ridge and slammed his fist into the copter's face again, causing him to fall. He kicked the Combaticon about a dozen times, staring at Swindle the entire time.

Vortex finally had nothing else to say, it seemed, and Starscream bent to whisper. "What was that, Vortex? I didn't quite hear you."

The only answer he got was a low groan.

Starscream turned to the few other occupants of Rec Room 3 and calmly smiled. "All right, everyone, the show is over." With that, he left the room for his own quarters, belatedly noticing the huge gash in his hand from Vortex's rotor blade.

* * *

><p>"There ya go, squirt." Rumble grinned as Sunstreaker concentrated on the screen and the controller. "Ain't this a fun one?"<p>

Sunstreaker concentrated on the little blue creature as it curled into a ball and spun really fast to go over an arch. "Shhh! I'm conc'ntratin'! And I'm not a squirt!"

Ravage huffed in amusement from where she was curled around the yellow twin once more. Ratbat curled into the black plating of Sideswipe's helm, shrieking in joy. Ratbat, once introduced, had taken an extreme liking to the Twins. He especially liked riding on Sideswipe's helm when the red sparkling ran around the room and made noises like he was flying. It was so fun!

Until Sideswipe zigged when he should have zagged and tripped over Ravage's tail, flying helm-first into the wall.

"Ow, fragging slagging son of a glitched motherboard and a two-cred pleasurebot!" Sides howled, gaining himself a _very_ appreciative whistle from _both_ cassette twins.

"I'm gonna remember that one, for next time someone slags me off." Frenzy said happily. "The frag'd you learn to talk like that anyway?"

Sides shrugged, petting a very irritated Ratbat gently. "Just did."

"You are too a squirt." Rumble informed Sunny. "I mean, you're tiny."

"So are you." the golden twin retorted, sending his little blue...creature...spinning directly into the path of a REALLY ugly mech-looking thing with a clownlike face. Rings flew everywhere and he cursed softly, collecting all that he could.

* * *

><p>"TC, I think I need a little... Help." Starscream admitted, holding one hand tightly in the other. The blue Seeker had just gotten off-shift and he glanced over at Starscream curiously, wincing when he saw the telltale violet drip.<p>

"What the Pit did you do?" he asked.

"Grabbed Vortex." Star said grimly.

"You _what_?" Thundercracker gaped at his trineleader. "You were supposed to wait for us, Starscream."

Starscream scowled. "Fraggers already got away with it long enough."

The blue Seeker made a wordless noise of frustration then grabbed his trinemate's hand to view the damage. "Well, it went deep, but it's a clean cut." He mumbled, lips twisted into a small frown. "What did they have to say about it?"

Thundercracker snorted. "I checked on them before coming here. They're fine. Playing actually. I was hoping to get more headway on some work."

"Playing? Not those ridiculous human video games." Starscream growled vindictively. "They don't need it. I don't want them ending up like Rumble and Frenzy. I doubt those two have even one complete processing loop _between_ them."

"Well, Sunstreaker was..."

"No! He needs it less than Sideswipe does!"

"..."

"Don't give me that look."

Thundercracker made a motion as if rolling his optics. "Fine, I won't. Regardless they were fine. If you really want to go and get them, by all means."

Starscream headed for the door. He even pinged it to open once he was in range. But he didn't step through. He stalked back over to his small cushioned seat and flopped strutlessly onto it, drumming his fingers on the arm. "Whatever." That was one human expression that Starscream had embraced; it fit him so very well.

After about a breen, Skywarp bounded in, smelling like wind and rain. "Storm's coming!" he said happily. Starscream perked up at this; he loved flying in the storm, and he _especially_ loved flying in the storm slongside Skywarp. He eyed his trinemates. "Thundercracker...?" he said in a soft, rising tone, wheedling.

"No." the blue Seeker said, working on his console busily.

"Why not?" Skywarp joined in, pout already firmly in place.

Thundercracker scowled at both of them. "No. You wanted the sparklings here, now you get the responisbilities that come with it. Which means less of what we usually do and more acting like responisble adults."

Skywarp's face looked pathetic and even Starscream was pouting. "No." The blue seeker said again firmly.

"But TC, how coooome? It's only for a few Earth hours!" The youngest whined.

"You even said so, yourself Thundercracker. The twins are fine playing with the cassettes." Starscream added.

"But did they take responsibility for two little ones, scared and alone, on that battlefield?" TC pressed, knowing he was being somewhat harsh but used to being the voice of reason.

Starscream cursed under his breath and shook his head. "Frag."

"TeeeeeCeeeeeee..."

"No, Skywarp." Thundercracker said, ignoring his younger trinemate.

The door chimed then, ending the argument.

Two small blurs of paint, red and yellow, launched themselves through the door, the red one hitting Skywarp in the abdominal plating, and the yellow one clinging slightly more sedately to Starscream's legs. "Star, Star! I beat third level in the game, Sonic the...what is that thing again?" He looked at Sideswipe, who said nothing as he hugged Skywarp.

Starscream blinked down in surprise, not at all used to this still and glanced back up to the door where the cassette twins were looking rather put out. Soundwave stood with his arms crossed behind them. "Soundwave."

Skywarp had scooped up the red mechling to a delighted shriek, already almost completely forgetting the storm argument. "Whatcha doin' back so early?"

"Twins: Both sets were not teaching the other the best of things."

An optic ridge popped up on Starscream's forehelm as he leaned down to pick Sunstreaker up as well, the yellow sparkling snuggling in and purring his little engine in contentment. "Care to elaborate."

"He says I gotta dirty mouth." Sideswipe chimed, grinning from audio to audio. "But I showed 'im! My mouth is clean! There isn't anything in there!"

Skywarp began laughing uncontrollably at this, while Thundercracker cracked a smile and Starscream just sighed.

"Sideswipe. If you are so enamored of those words, you may write them ten times each on this datapad. Spelled correctly. And neatly." Starscream said, his arms folded across golden glass.

Sideswipe positively /whined/ at this. "Lessons? It's a day off!"

"_Now_." Starscream ordered in his best 'I am the Air Commander and you will listen to me!' voice.

Soundwave, of course, did not react, though the cassettes looked up at their creator, almost afraid.

"Penance: appropriate. Rumble, Frenzy: will repeat Sideswipe's task in our quarters."

A very distinct "Fragging Screamer" could be heard from the cassettes' direction, but it wasn't clear who said it.

Soundwave tapped his foot and both twins grumbled before marching down the hallway, the telepath following. Starscream turned to the pouting Sideswipe and Skywarp looked torn between not getting a lecture and standing up for the red hellion. "Sideswipe. What about your brother?"

Sideswipe shrugged. "Sunny threw the 'mote at the teevee once."

"I didn' do it again!" Sunstreaker was quick to defend himself, his helm shooting up from where he had lain it against the Seeker's shoulder. "Not after 'Wave said ka- Star wouldn't be happy if I broke it and he had to replace it!"

Starscream tilted his head. He'd caught what Sunny had almost called him, and it...did things to his meta. Things that a Decepticon, the SIC of the entire fragging army, should not be feeling. He tried to ruthlessly push them away, and found that he not only couldn't, but did not want to.

"Only once?" Starscream asked Sunstreaker. The golden twin nodded solemnly. "One time. Not again. Promise."

Starscream thought about it. "If it was only one time, temper happens. Sideswipe, you swear entirely too much. One time is excusable. Corrupting Soundwave's fragging cassettes is impossible, but it looks like you did it."

"That's ten 'fraggings' for you then, Star." Sideswipe said firmly.

"Nuh uh! Eleven! Cause you said it that once comin' here." Sunstreaker said. Sideswipe looked thoughtful.

"And there were a lot of slaggings..."

"Don't forget the two glitches!"

"Oh! And I called the wall a pleasurebot..."

Starscream literally facepalmed. "Enough!" The twins froze, Sunstreaker looking afraid for a bare moment, but it melted away a lot more quickly than it had before.

Skywarp snorted. "This is all well and good for discipline, but I am fra- um, I am very bored!" Sideswipe giggled as Skywarp caught himself.

Thundercracker had offlined his audials some time ago and was blissfully immersed in his work.

"Very well, only one of each then Sideswipe." Starscream sighed, sitting Sunstreaker on the berth. "And what in Cybertron did you get on your arm, Sunstreaker?"

Sunstreaker's helm snapped to the side to examine his arm. "Oh. Rumble 'n Frenzy shot Ravage with paint."

Starscream sighed again. He got the feeling he would be doing that a lot. "I see."

"It was fun!" Sideswipe cried from where Skywarp had set him in his lap with the datapad and stylus. "Ravage chased 'em around the room!"

"Until bit brain wanted to go 'splorin again."

"Exploring." Starscream said, his tone flat.

"Ravage wouldn't let us. She grabbed my arm in her /mouth/. Yuck!" Sideswipe said disdainfully.

Starscream wondered if Ravage liked gifts; it seemed she was a better sitter than the Coneheads. He revised his optinion of the felinoid cassette and glared at both twins.

"No exploring without one of us with you. Or do you _want_ to run into the Combaticons again?"

"What's a Combaticon?" Sideswipe asked.

"That copter." Sunstreaker said sagely. "I heard Frenzy talkin' about them. Says they're all glitched and worse, that they eat sparks 'stead of energon, and they wanna melt us down for wingcharms!"

Sideswipe's optics grew wide. "Do _not_! Liar!"

"I didn' say it, glitchface!" Sunstreaker scowled and Starscream made a frustrated sound.

"Why, on Primus' good name, do you think it's okay to swear so much?"

Sunstreaker scowled and looked away with a shrug. Sideswipe stuck his glossa out at his brother. "Adults can do it! And we can take care of ourselves. Like this one time, these big bots came and took Sunny to this weird place. I had to bust 'im out and they kept sayin' that fragging is a good thing."

The red twin barely had time to dodge the stylus Sunstreaker had taken to keeping on him at all times. "Don't talk 'bout it!"

Starscream froze. His mouth opened, and then he closed it very, very slowly. He felt a need to hurt something, though, and he did not want to do it here. He offlined his optics and ran through the log tables about a dozen times before he could trust himself to speak. "Sunstreaker. Please do not poke Sideswipe with your stylus."

Skywarp caught on as well and hauled the red halfer up to do his words. He handed over a datapad and pointed. "Do 'em, and then we'll do something fun." Sideswipe whined and grumbled but slowly began spelling out all his favorite swear words, while Sunstreaker had started to draw something else. Starscream sidled over to see what it was that he was working on so furiously.

He blinked when he saw what was slowly taking shape (albeit in wobbly lines at the moment) on the stylus. Towers that rose high with staging areas in many of them. It made Starscream's spark clench. "Sunstreaker. What is that?"

"Dunno..." Sunstreaker grumbled, very obviously not trying to pay attention to Starscream. He was upset now, thanks to his brother and memories he worked so hard to forget. "Kali took us there once."

"Did he now?"

"Uh huh..."

"I see. Were there many fliers?"

That gave the little one pause. "Yeah. Everyone had wings."

"I see. Why are you drawing this place? Did you grow up there?"

Sunstreaker shook his helm, holding the datapad further away from his face. "Nu-uh. But kali always said that when I'm hurtin' I should draw good things... Cause they make you happy."

Starscream couldn't help himself. He silently dared either of his trinemates to say a word as he gathered Sunny into his lap, looking at the picture, trying desperately to figure out what it was without outright asking for details. "That looks like... Vos." *Sort of.* he thought after he said it. "Were there a lot of towers there?" he asked.

Sunstreaker nodded absently, his glossa poking out from between his lips. "Yeah. Pretty clear one. I liked that one, but I can't get the colors right."

Starscream held out his hand for the stylus. "Let me show you something." Sunny handed it over, watching Starscream intently. Star adjusted the settings using the four small indentations on the side, altering the fade and colorshift. "It will make translucent shades now, Sunstreaker."

Sunny tried it on the pad, and saw a wash of silvery-blue. Impulsively, he hugged Starscream tightly. "That's it! How did you know!"

Starscream had to fight the coolant that threatened to fall from his optics.

"Lucky guess, Little Yellow." Skywarp grinned. Sunstreaker glared.

"M'not yellow. It's gold!"

Starscream took the moment and sudden banter to calm himself. "It's a very beautiful tower Sunstreaker. What were you doing there?"

Sunstreaker turned his frown on the Seeker, ice optics seeming to look right through him as if lost in memory. He shrugged. "I can't 'member too well."

Sideswipe had finished with the words he was supposed to be writing and he pushed the datapad aside to climb off Skywarp's lap and up next to his brother so he could see also. He tilted his helm to the side, considering. "Oh hey! I 'member that place! kali's Kali and Opa lived there! 'Memeber Sunny? They gave you that pretty colorin' pad!"

Sunstreaker thought hard. "Um. Maybe? Was yellow right?"

Sides nodded firmly. "Yep! And I got a set of racing cars that looked like you an' me an'..." He trailed off.

Sunstreaker threw his stylus abruptly. "I smashed that car, y'know." He got down off Starscream's lap and ran into the washracks.

Sideswipe just stared at the stylus. "Don't remember what the other car was..."

"If you want new cars, I'll get 'em for you." Skywarp said quickly as Thundercracker rushed to the 'racks to make sure Sunny was all right.

Sideswipe's optics lit up. "You can do that!"

Skywarp nodded. "Yup. It's not that hard."

"I want a green one with yellow and red stripes... No wait! I want one that looks like that one really fast racer! Y'know! The blue one!" The red twin jabbered excitedly.

Skywarp nodded quickly as Starscream headed into the 'racks after Sunstreaker. "I don't know if they make one of Blurr, but I think I can find something close, okay?" He scratched Sides' helm and knelt to hug him, looking toward the racks worriedly.

The cleanser was running in the 'racks, and Sunny stood under it, shaking. Coolant ran from his optics as he rubbed them, not looking at anyone, even Star.

"Sunstreaker-" Starscream began.

"No." His little voice shook. "Don't wanna talk about it, okay? Please?"

Starscream walked under the spray and held the golden halfer close, rocking him in his arms. He began singing a soft tune, the same one he used to lull him to recharge.

Sunstreaker's vents hitched ane he buried into Starscream's plating with small sobs. The Seeker ran a gentle hand over his helm and let him cry. Sometimes. It was the easiest way to relieve all the built up pain. Sometimes, Starscream wished he still knew how.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews are nice ;P<strong>


	5. Chapter 4

**Well, here's the next installment of DT :D This one went a little slower than we thought it would. And frag it all, I have no inspiration for Feelings! Last Arc too and then the story is over... Some ideas thrown my way would be welcomed.**

**Also, ART. We would LOVE art for this or for Of Lambos and Seekers located on my lovely co-author's, Daerynys Starcatcher, profile. We would really love to see the twins new forms as described here :) No pressure. But we really would love it**

**Disclaimer: Not ours but I really want some baby Twins.**

**Enjoy ~**

* * *

><p>"Sunny, I'm bored."<p>

Sunstreaker made a noise of agreement. It had been joors since Skywarp and Starscream had left for their shifts, Thundercracker working quietly at the terminal. The Twins were supposed to be taking a nap, but neither could fall into recharge. They didn't need it in all honesty. They hadn't burned off enough energy and now were talking to each other in whispers. They were slowly coming to adore their guardians. Skywarp was funny and he liked playing with them when he was here, but he'd had to leave a lot lately. Starscream got angry quick, but he sang to them when it was quiet at night and they couldn't sleep. Thundercracker was a little boring, but he was strong and he waxed them and made sure they had interesting things to learn to read.

Even so. They were bored. They hadn't seen the outside of their quarters in _vorns_ it seemed to their small CPUs and when they did it was always to go down the same stretch of hall to Soundwave's quarters which, while the Twins and the other cassettes were there, was quickly losing its marvel. Afterall, Soundwave wasn't always there to teach Sideswipe the lyraharp and Sunstreaker had just about run out of games to play on their teevee.

"Whining is unbecoming." Thundercracker noted. "I am fairly sure I could give you extra lessons...Sunstreaker, your word recognition is lacking, and Sideswipe, your penamanship leaves _much_ to be desired."

"My what?" Sides asked.

"Writing." TC explained. "You need to practice it."

"But that makes me ti-" Sideswipe's mouth closed with an audible snap, and Thundercracker smiled. Sunny just shook his head in disgust. Dumbaft.

"Skywarp cannot take two tired younglings flying, you know." TC noted, almost nonchalantly.

Both twins sat up at that, wide optic'd and said in complete and excited unison, "We get to _fly_?"

Thundercracker's smile widened. "Yes. You _may_ get to fly. If you behave. If you consume your energon _and_ your supplements without complaint. _If_ you do your lessons. And then if Skywarp still wishes to. Then you will get to fly." Thundercracker said, nodding.

The twin halfers sported identical wide grins. "Wanna go up!" Sunstreaker cried, uncharacteristically exuberant.

"I want to do loops!" Sideswipe countered.

_"I_ want you to lie quietly for the remainder of your nap time." TC said quelling.

"But what if we're asleep when Sky gets here and we can't fly anymore! He's been saying we can go since _forever!_ I wanna go soon! I wanna go now!" Sideswipe jumped off the berth in his excitement and ran around the room with his arms spread wide and making jet sounds.

Sunstreaker laughed and watched his twin, legs swinging off the edge of the berth.

Thundercracker made a sharp clicking noise in his vocalizer, one that the twins may be finally recognizing. Starscream had started using Seeker cant with the twins, on the premise that they should recall it from their sparkling days, and two, it was a form off communication not widely known on the Nemesis. This particular series meant 'cease and desist'.

Sideswipe stopped dead, his head tilted as he picked out the individual sounds. Well, he _was_ better at it; the musician's audials. Sunny just sat there laughing at his twin.

The door slid open, and the twins looked at it expectantly. Starscream, back from his shift, looking irritated as he usually did after spending time with the other 'Cons.

Sideswipe deflated just a bit. "Awww,'s not Sky."

Starscream raised an orbital ridge, looking from each twin to Thundercracker and back. "Is there a reason you are not in recharge."

"We're bored." Sideswipe was quick to answer. Sunstreaker nodded in agreement. "And not tired and Sky's going to take us flying!"

"Sky isn't taking you anywhere unless you learn to listen to what your caretakers tell you." Thundercracker reminded them for the fourth time in the last breem.

Starscream cracked a tiny smile but nodded in agreement. "I won't let him, and Skywarp listens to me as well."

"Like frag I do." Sky said as he walking into their room, smelling of the outer hull...seawater and slime. "Want a hug, Sunny?" He grinned.

Sunstreaker's face scrunched in what could only be disgust. "After you clean." He said, which in itself was a great improvement. Up until a few cycles ago, he's only let Sideswipe and occasionally Starscream hug him.

"Aw, Sunny. Sunny doesn't looove me." Skywarp said, sticking his glossa out at the golden twin. Sideswipe gave Sunny a mock-furious look and hugged Skywarp tightly, getting that gross slime...and smell...all over him.

"Racks!" Both TC and Star said it in unison, pointing at the green-streaked youngling.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Skywarp turned his head just slightly, winking at Starscream. "I got him. C'mon, Siders. Will you wash if I warp you?"

Sideswipe nodded, optics wide. Sunstreaker's mouth fell open, and suddenly Skywarp felt a small presence hugging his right leg.

"Me too?" Sunny asked softly.

You could practically see Skywarp's face smile brighten up the room as the dark Seeker resisted the urge to 'awww' loudly. He reached down and scooped the youngling up, looking quite proud as he promptly disappeared, once more followed by squealing excitement from the washroom.

Thundercracker shook his helm, giving their nap up as a lost cause.

While Skywarp literally disappeared with the now-smelly twins, Starscream looked at Thundercracker. He laid a datapad in front of his blue trinemate, and the image on it was certainly not what TC expected.

"Upgrades?" he asked Starscream. His trineleader nodded absently.

"It's close enough to time, and I can give them defensive capability if I do it, and enhance certain of their natural strengths in the process."

"_You_ know how to upgrade sparklings?" Thundercracker hadn't guessed this.

Starscream flashed Thundercracker a Look. "I went to the Science Academy. They _do_ teach basic anatomy, including the skills necessary to do this. I may need some material to follow, and designs, and the base parts...but yes, I can do this. I _should_ do this. It is not safe for them as they are."

"I know that but..." Thundercracker sighed. "What kind of defensive capabilities are we talking? Something similar to the Stunticon's force shields?"

Starscream frowned and shook his helm. "The amount of energon it would take to fuel that could not be provided, nor would it be very healthy for either of them as active as they are..."

"In short, the energy required for a continuous effect such as the Stunticons' forcefields would be prohibitive in terms of not only fuel consumption, but possibly development as well. they would become dependent upon it in many ways, and the constant drain on their systems could be detrimental to several systems, not just defensive. I was thinking of using some Earth metals for their plating, alloyed with the standard Cybertronian alloys. Ceramics, while heavy, are effective against heat...and were never developed on Cybertron due to the lack of rare elements in our planetary crust." Starscream continued, fully in Science-Bot mode.

Thundercracker paused for a moment to allow himself to process that. Star had always been head and shoulders above him in these matters, but he was sure that he understood most of it. "You want to make them different from what they ended up being?"

"A little, yes. Sideswipe had a jetpack...I plan to integrate thrusters, much like many Decepticons have. It's a simple enough alteration. Sunstreaker, though... I am not certain he is suited for personal flight."

"Not suited for... Starscream, he is as much half Seeker as Sideswipe is!" Thundercracker said sharply. "He will have as much a need for the sky as his brother. If you take that away, how do you think he will feel?"

Starscream looked sharly at Thundercracker. "He is prone to flashbacks, which could be fatal if it happened to him in the air! I will...ask him." Star's voice softened. "Ask him if he's ever been in the sky, and see how he reacts, becaore I make that final decision." TC's words had hit him rather hard. He couldn't fathon being flightless, and...the blue Seeker was right.

"'M I clean _yet_?" Sideswipe whined, despite the dark smudges clear on his face.

"No." Sunny pointed out, quite happy to stay under the hot spray with a bottle of cleanser with his name on it.

Skywarp flicked his wings at the two, showing cleansing fluid and water on the twins to the tune of dual shrieks of laughter. "Hurry uuuuppp and I'll warp us back for evening ration! But sshh, don't tell TC. Then _I'll_ be in trouble. You don't want Skywarp to get a spanking, do you?"

Sideswipe looked at the seeker with wide optics. "They can't _do_ that!" He said with conviction. "Yer too big now!"

Sunstreaker rolled his optics, looking over his frame again. He still like taking baths with Thundercracker or Starscream. They waxed him when it was all done. But the disgusting green and blackish stuff was gone and he was only too happy to just stand there.

"Can't waste water, Sunny." Skywarp grinned, sticking his glossa out in an imitation of Sunstreaker when he did it as an answer.

Sunny frowned but stepped out of the spray, hurrying for a cloth so he wouldn't get water spots on his plating. Skywarp wiped down Sides' dirty face, much to the little red halfer's dismay, but very soon they were holding hands, VOIPing into the main room with only a bit of water puddling onto the carpet beneath their feet.

Starscream eyed the mess, and looked at Skywarp. "Really. You couldn't dry them first?"

"_I_ dried _myself_." Sunstreaker said with authority.

"So you did." Star said with a grin. "More sense than your twin and the purple glitch with wings, for sure."

"Not a glitch, aft-face!" Skywarp retorted, and Sideswipe giggled madly.

TC rolled his optics. "CHILDREN. All four of you. Stop it." The Seekers gave TC a dirty look, but everyone sat down for rations.

Starscream turned to Sunny. "Ever been flying, Sunstreaker?"

Sunstreaker's optics lit up and Sideswipe'd did too. "Yeah! It was so cool! You could see everything and kali always made sure to 'splain the rules when were in the sky! Even though don't got wings!"

"Don't have, Sunstreaker." Thundercracker corrected gently. "We don't have wings. Not we don't got."

"I thought it wasn't lesson time anymore." Sideswipe made a face.

"Rules for the sky?" Skywarp wondered aloud.

Starscream wondered what those were too, so he sat and listened, beginning to reconsider things. He'd worried that Sunstreaker might associate the sky, _flying_ with something negative, and as such it could trigger a panic attack in midair. If he associated it with positive things, then perhaps...

"Yes, Sunstreaker, tell us what the rules for the sky are." He began tapping on his datapad, coming up with rough designs for two younglings' upgrades. Thundercracker came over with the cubes on a tray, and everyone began to sip.

Sunstreaker was grinning from audio to audio, one of those happy ones that said he wasn't pretending to be happy. "Like makin' sure that all yer systems are workin' good!"

"Or checkin' the winds and makin' sure somethin' isn't too strong!" Sideswipe interjected.

"And always have a flyin' buddy until yer big enough to fly yourself!" They chimed together.

"But most of all, make sure that someone always knows where you are, cause Cybertron's winds are unpredictable." Sunstreaker finished with a wise air about him.

"Kali always told us this even though we can't fly 'cause we always went flyin' with him." Sideswipe said. "Because we were the only ones with a flyin' kali in the area!"

Sunstreaker made a face. "Nu-uh. There were other flyers! Kali was just prettiest."

Starscream and Skywarp both smiled. Star gave TC a knowing glance; he'd made his decision.

"Hey, have you ever been told it's time to uprgade your frames?" Starscream had no idea if they even knew what this was or not, or how long it'd been since they'd been with their creator. According to records, they'd disappeared off the radar almost as if they'd never existed. A youngling who failed to upgrade, though...it stunted them more than physically, and Starscream idly wondered how they'd managed in their _before_ lives, alone in Kaon.

Thundercracker finished his energon and rose. "It is time for my shift now...behave, you two."

The twins nodded distractedly as Skywarp peered over Starscream's shoulder, looking at his design. "Thrusters!" he said happily.

As soon as Thundercracker had left and Skywarp had purloined the designs off of Starscream, the tricolored Seeker found himself with a lap full of babbling and excited younglings.

"You mean it, Star! We really get to upgrade?" Sunstreaker asked, open amazement and hope in his face. "We don't hafta stay short forever and ever?"

"I want to be red still!" sideswipe declared firmly. "I want to be red and black, maybe some orange and green! No orange and purple!"

"Can't _do_ that!" Sunstreaker gave his twin a gimlet optic. "Would look like colors purged all over you!"

Sideswipe shrugged, not really caring how he looked as long as he could be taller.

"Red and black with white for you." Starscream told Sideswipe. "Gold and black for you, Sunstreaker. Unless you wish another accent, like pea green?" he teased.

Sunny gave Starscream a look that promised pain. "Noooooooooooooooooo! Green is YUCKY and I hate it. Black is okay. It looks good with gold. You mean we're gonna get wings?"

"No. No wings. Thrusters in your heels, sort of like mine. You'll need wider shoulder plating for stabilization, and you won't go far because you are /far/ too young to be traversing the skies, but...you will get off the ground without assistance. /If/ you follow your Kali's rules." This was siad very firmly; those rules were pretty much the same as what Starscream himself had been taught when he was young.

"And you will be a little taller. Not as tall as us, but tall enough to get out of a room by yourself. No more standing on your twin's shoulders, Sideswipe." Starscream laughed.

"When ya gonna do it, Star?" Skywarp asked.

"I have to assemble the materials. An orn, perhaps. And the procedure will take most of a day to complete, and Hook's cooperation...I need medbay." He didn't want to explain the medical intricacies in front of the twins, or the extremely rare possibility of them rejecting the new form. It was essentially a spark chamber transplant, and it would be stupid not to have support on hand in case of emergencies.

The twins looked at each other in absolute excitement and then broke into loud squeals before hugging Starscream at the same time.

It would take most of the evening and even sometime after Thundercracker returned, to calm them down enough for recharge.

* * *

><p>The days passed and things continued in this new and odd routine the Seeker's lives had fallen into. Starscream worked on the frames in his lab, adding little things here and there that added to aesthetics or mirrored a Seeker's own preferences. When it came to Sunstreaker's helm, he debated keeping the helm fins, something he'd honestly always considered ridiculous, but in the end opted for a more refined version.<p>

The Twins continued their studies and grew in leaps and bounds, slmost entirely caught up with their age group now. They no longer cut words off or said things incorrectly, beside the occasional slip from Sideswipe who seemed to be leaning more for the Kaon accent they had adopted in their young years of life. Sunstreaker was more open, more willing to seek one of his caretakers out when he sought comfort or had a bad memory purge during the nighcycle. His fear of the dark had, unfortunately, not alleviated any and he wasn't talking about why it scared him so much.

The first major setback came when the Seekers were needed for an energon raid and Thundercracker had come back slagged to the pit, with Starscream shortly following courtesy of Megatron. The days without all three of their caretakers seemed to seriously unnerve the twins and when both returned, tired, but repaired, it had taken joors to get either of their charges to let go. Even for something as simple as refueling.

Finally, the day came that Starscream finished the frames and he was quite proud of the results.

The twins were watching some human children's show on TV that included three huge-eyed little girls who kicked more aft than the Stunticons, or so Skywarp described it. At least, Sideswipe was. Sunstreaker was drawing on yet another upgraded datapad, a reward from Thundercracker for getting all one hundred of his words correct: spelling, syntax, and lettering. It had been an accomplishment for Sunny, who had a difficult time with words.

He waved the pad at Starscream as he entered. "Star, look!"

Starscream dutifully looked at the datapad, finding a very detailed picture of both twins standing side by side next to the wall in their quarters. "I drew it so that you would have it to remember what we look like after we get upgrades." Sunny said solemnly.

Starscream felt an unfamiliar wave of _something_ wash over his spark at that.

"Speaking of that...I think we're ready to do just that. Want to see?"

Sideswipe immediately switched off the TV and bounced. "Yes, yes, yes!" Sunstreaker, being only _slightly_ more reserved, just nodded hard enough that he was likely to strain a hinge in his neck. "Please?" they said in unison.

Stronger mechs than Starscream had been brought low by the pleas of twins.

They went, each holding one of Starscream's hands.

By this point in time, most mechs hardly spared the Twins a glance. A few mechs had tried to mess with the mechlings even after the incident with the Combaticons. Each had learned their lesson. Painfully. Even so, the Twins were still not allowed out of quarters on their own, especially if Vortex was around. Starscream's lab was always a treat for them, considering that Sideswipe had problems with keeping his hands off of things he SHOULDN'T touch. It was like the little mech was _drawn_ to dangerous things.

As soon as the doors cycled open and their hands were released, they rushed for their respective frames, going by coloring. Sideswipe squealed with excitement and Sunstreaker practically radiated joy as each looked at the finish products after climbing up stools to view them.

Sideswipe's soon to be new frame was a deep crimson with black accents that included his shoulders, forearms, hands, thighs, waist and pedes. His helm was the same black, more rounded than his previous adult frame, but Starscream had grown so found of the little audial horns, he just couldn't find it to get rid of them for something else. The little faceplates were a pearlescent white. The same white could be found on his upper arms, his pelvic plating and the thruster mods that he was openly appraising.

Sunstreaker was carefully going over every inch of his own new frame. His plating was mostly a honey gold, his own waist white as well as his thighs. His own thrusters were black as well as his forearms, helm and pelvic plating. His hands were the same golden hue as the majority of his chassis as well as his upper arms. His faceplates were the same as his brother's, Sunstreaker's helm a tad more angular to keep the helm fins on either side of his face in balance. They were smaller, more resembling a Seeker's helm vents rather than the wider flared ones previously, but they worked the same way and added to the exotic design. The slats were golden as well.

Both frames had yellow hued optics.

"Wooooow!" Sideswipe said, almost bouncing in his seat.

Sunstreaker's face looked like it was about to crack. "'M gonna be even more beautiful!" he yelled. "You did this, Star?"

Starscream nodded, feeling warm inside, and suddenly not caring if anyone knew it. He'd worked very hard on these, as hard as if they were his own younglings...which, he realized, he thought of them as just that. His. "I had some help from Skywarp and TC, and even Hook helped a little..." Sunstreaker frowned at that name. "But yes, I did most of it."

Sunstreaker ran and hugged both of Starscream's legs, clinging tightly. "Thank you. Love you! Love you so much!"

Starscream didn't know what to say to that.

Sideswipe poked at the frame, noting that it didn't move, not really noticing his twin or the stunned Seeker in the middle of the room. He did relent, however, when Starscream declared that it was time to move the frames. Medbay wasn't a place he liked, because he found Hook and Mixmaster to be creepy for the most part. Hook was here now, watching the scene of giggling younglings and practically bursting with pride Seeker with unreadable optics.

"Are they ready for the procedure, Commander?" he asked coldly. This display of emotion was, perhaps, enlightening, but not necessary in Hook's opinion.

Longhaul, who had also decided to come in for the event looked practically giddy himself. Now THIS was a mech the Twins had taken a liking too, having met him on a trip to check their systems a few cycles back. They waved and he beamed, waving a little back. Mismaster snorted in amusement, rolling his optics at his gestaltmate.

As soon as the frames were situated on the berths chosen for them, Starscream lifted each twin to lie beside either frame. Sunstreaker looked up at him curiously. "What do we do now, Star?"

"I need you to recharge for me, boys." Starscream said as Hook began to attatch various cables from one frame to the next. "Can you do that for me?"

"But we're not tired." Sideswipe said, confused.

"Perhaps, youngling. But when you wake up, you'll be in your new frame." He told them, watching Hook insert energon drips with a keen awareness should the medic try something funny.

"Just like that?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Just like that."

Both of them nodded and quickly shut off their optics as Hook initiated medical recharge.

Once the twins were finally out, Hook gave Starscream a dubious glare. "You certainly went to a lot of trouble for a pair of Autobots."

Starscream flicked his wings angrily, double-checking connections and assuring that the medical support systems were up and running. He didn't trust Hook any farther than Hook could fly on his own. "In case you haven't noticed, Hook, they are _not_, in fact, Autobots. They are younglings under my care and tutelage, learning the skills required to be _assets_ to the Decepticon Empire."

The frames, however, had no symbols at all. Starscream had done that on purpose. One was not just given the Decepticon insignia. It was a choice. Not much of one, in certain cases, and undeniably a painful one if one took the _full_ oath, but it was still a choice, not something to be branded (quite literally) upon younglings barely old enough to think for themselves.

Hook responded with both an optic roll and a "Yes, Commander." Before returning to his work.

His trinemates were absent for this procedure, mostly because they would only get in the way. Neither of them knew a thing about spark transfer, and even Starscream required Hook's assistance to be sure that it was done correctly. He knew that Hook's perfectionist nature would prohibit any funny business...that, and the threats that had been made against his person should anything go wrong.

The twins lay next to their new frames, cables hooked where they should be. Starscream nodded at Hook, who in turn instructed Mixmaster and Long Haul to assist, checking dials and reciting the various numerical values that ran across the screen on the life support units.

"Initiate transfer on subject 1a." Hook said.

"His designation is Sideswipe." Starscream hissed, and Hook ignored him, flipping the switches on the machines.

Starscream watched as the Sideswipe's chestplates opened, revealing the small, pulsing blue-white spark within it's chamber. As it rotated and spun, one small spark scar could be seen. Starscream frowned at it.

"What is that." He demanded, not asked.

Hook took a glance at it. "Relax, Air Commander. It is normal for split-spark twins to have such a mark at this age. It is merely the indication of where the spark split into two. It will fade with time."

How interesting. Starscream had to shake the thought away. Now was not a time to get distracted with science.

Starscream noted it for future reference and watched the transfer, which went as smoothly as he'd expected. Hook gently moved the small chamber, still attached, into the larger frame, attaching the lines one by one to the larger spark chamber within the new frame. The pulsating light looked tiny in the larger space.

Hook could feel the question coming, and so he said shortly, "The old chamber will be integrated into the new, and no, Long Haul, sparks will not "rattle around", no matter the size discrepancy."

Long Haul's mouth closed, for that was the question he had been within nanoseconds of uttering. Sometimes a gestalt link was a pain in the aft.

The final cable came loose from Sideswipe's old frame, and his spark flared just a bit. Starscream bit his lip as the old form began to fade in coloring, becoming less vibrant even as he watched. He...didn't like seeing that. Not at all. It bothered him to the extent that he had to look away, but yet he could still see it in his meta. He swallowed hard, and looked at the new frame...which had begun to power up, its own muted shades getting brighter with the signs of life.

Starscream let out a vent of relief, and banished the look of worry that had surely been plastered across his face. Sideswipe was okay.

Long Haul and Mixmaster began the final bits of integration, while Hook checked Sunstreaker over for any anomalies. His spark had stuttered just a bit when Sideswipe had been transferred, but Hook remarked that that was likely because of their link.

They began to repeat the process of the little golden twin, Starscream's favorite...the one he was beginning to think of as his own creation, even if only in his own mind.

His wings stiffened as Hook started up the process with Sunstreaker, and Starscream really had to look away when the little frame began to bleed to grey. He couldn't see that, but when he glanced back, the process was done and Sunstreaker's spark was seemingly content in the newer, bigger frame.

The Seeker vented air quietly as both sets of chestplates closed.

"There, the process is done." Hook said, going over the scans that had been running since the process had started. It had taken hardly any time at all.

"When can they leave?" Starscream asked/demanded.

"As soon as they wake from medical stasis and when I am certain that everything works properly." Hook said patiently. "For all you know you miswired their systems."

Starscream glared. "I did no such thing..."

Sideswipe moaned softly on his berth, moving a bit jerkily, and Starscream immediately forgot what he was complaining about. He rushed to the youngling's side, and was only a little bit hurt when the first coherent sound from Sideswipe's new vocalizer was , "Sky?"

Starscream swallowed his jealousy and commed his trinemate.

/_Sideswipe is asking for you_./

/_Star, I can't_-/

/_You can, I'm ordering you to medbay. Rank has its privileges_./

/_Whatever keeps my aft out of the fire. Be right there_!/

And he was. Skywarp arrived less than a minute later, to the chorus of Hook complaining that Skywarp was /not/ to be using his warp gate in medbay. Skywarp ignored the Constructicon and sat next to Sides' bedside, grinning.

"Lookin' good, kid. How do you feel?"

"Sleepy." The youngling's vocals were less highpitched than they had been in the smaller frame, the new one having more range of sound. Sideswipe rubbed at his optics before he stopped to stare at his hands and a huge grin spread across his face. "Look! I'm bigger now!"

"Sure are!" Skywarp's grin was just as wide.

Then Sunstreaker began to stir and Starscream reached for the smaller hand. "Sunstreaker, how are you feeling?"

"Mmmf." The golden youngling had always been harder to get up than Sideswipe. " 'M I big'r yet?" He mumbled.

"Yes Sunny, you're bigger now." Starscream resisted the urge to chuckle. Not here in front of the Constructicons.

"Good. Tired, Star. Can we go home." Sunny looked up, and the golden gaze wasn't really any different from the blue from before- it was obvious to Starscream that who lay behind the lenses was the same.

"Can you walk?" Starscream asked softly. It wouldn't do to have the Constructicons see too much, but a certain amount of care was necessary now, at least.

"I- don't know? Feels weird." Sunstreaker said, smiling. He tried to sit up, wobbled, almost fell backward, and then righted himself with Starscream's help.

Over on Sideswipe's berth, Skywarp had already picked Sides up and was carrying him. "He works." Skywarp said flatly. "We're leaving."

"The _normal_ way, if you please." Hook said, snorting. If the twins glitched after they left medbay, it was no longer his concern or his problem, so he let them leave.

"Think I _don't_ know not to 'port someone who just went through spark surgery? Hook, frag off." Skywarp said, stalking out with Sides in his arms.

"Say, I'm bigger now, that means I can say-"

"No, Sunstreaker, you may not." Starscream said, helping the golden twin off the berth. Something told him that he would consider it to be highly demoralizing to be carried out like a sparkling. Sunny wobbled some more, but managed to stay upright, walking slowly next to Starscream, holding his hand for balance (so he claimed).

They left medbay, and the hall was empty. Star looked down at Sunstreaker.

"Can I carry you now?" Sunny smiled slowly and nodded gratefully, holding his arms up.

Starscream hoisted the bigger frame, marveling at the wave of something akin to regret that passed through him. He was happy for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe now that they had their first upgrade, and he was excited for them, but somehow he already missed the tinier frame that needed to be cradled rather than just held.

He followed Skywarp and Sideswipe, listening to the twins babble at each other all the way to their quarters.

Once inside, the Twins were all over the room, measuring themselves against everything. Most notably they continued to drift back towards the berths, chairs and the keypad to the door. They could now see (even if just barely) over the edge of their berths and the chairs were easier to get in. They were also level with the keypad, and if they reached up, they could press on it. Luckily the door had an automatic lock and neither Twin knew the code to unlock it.

"You two look great!" Skywarp said, taking an image capture of them both. "I think, after rations...it's time to take two mechlings for a flight. Not on your own, yet- we'll need to work on that later...but in my altmode." Skywarp glanced at Starscream, who nodded. They'd done exceedingly well with their schooling, and things on the war front had been reasonably quiet. As long as Skywarp kept to sparsely-populated areas, it would be more than safe for them to fly with him.

The twins froze and broke into identical grins. "Yay!" Sideswipe said. "How much longer till-"

Thundercracker came into the room, nearly tripping over Sunstreaker, who'd been standing near the doorway. A soft smile touched his lips. "Sunstreaker. I see that you've grown some."

"Yes Thunder, I have, me an' Sides both. We're bigger now!" he said proudly. "Um...Thunder...is it time for rations yet?"

"Yes." TC said. The cubes he brought this time were a bit larger than before- the new frames required more energy to power, and the twins clambered up into the chairs...still too short to reach the table. Skywarp laughed loudly and sat them in their customary spots on the table, where they exhibited the best table manners they ever had since they'd come to the Nemesis. After everyone was done, Sideswipe looked at Skywarp expectantly. "Now, Sky?"

"Now." he agreed, holding out his arms for twins.

The Twins were quick to scramble into Skywarp's arms, identical smiles etched over their faces in excitement. With a cheery 'ta' at both of his trinemates, Skywarp left the room, Thundercracker's optic roll and Starscream's fond 'glitch' following him out. Skywarp hoisted either twin onto his shoulders, both hanging onto his shoulder vents for balance as their caretaker strode down the hall, chestplates puffed proudly.

It didn't take long for them to reach the bridge and Skywarp sent a request ping to have the tower raised. It was done quickly, and soon enough Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were staring into Earth's sky for the first coherent time. Both stared in awe.

"Where are Cybertron are we, Sky?" The golden yellow mech asked as Skywarp set him and his brother down gently so he could transform into his F15 altmode.

"Not on Cybertron, guys. This mudball is called Earth, why I don't know...weird name with weird natives." Skywarp said cheerfully, transforming into his altform. His cockpit popped open. /_Slag, no ladders. I ain't a human jet! Uh...Um. Well then. You got thrusters. You gotta use 'em. Think real hard about your feet, and you should find a subroutine- a program- in your head that tells you what to do. VERY VERY SLOWLY raise yourself off the ground, and no funny business or Star __**will**__ spank me_./ He commed back, hoping that this worked.

Sideswipe concentrated, and sure enough, there was something extra that hadn't been there before. He activated it, and suddenly jumped up five feet. It surprised him so much that he accidentally cut power, tripping to land in a heap.

Sunny giggled. "Way to go, Grace."

"Slag off, Sunbeam." Sideswipe said cheerfully, trying again.

Sunstreaker scowled. "Not Sunbeam."

Sideswipe wasn't listening, concentrating on his feet again and very, very slowly, just as Sky had said, rose from the ground and guided himself through the air to Skywarp's open cockpit. He wobbled the entire way, but he looked so proud of himself that not even Sunstreaker commented on it.

"Come on, Sunny!" Sideswipe said enthusiastically, bouncing in one of the seats inside of Skywarp's cockpit. "It's so cool up here! There's a lot of buttons!"

"Yes, and don't you press on any of them squirt." Skywarp said seriously.

Sunstreaker looked less sure now that it was his turn. He had found the program as soon as Skywarp had pointed out how to and now he hesitated on activating it. He didn't want to look like a messup if he couldn't get it right.

::_It's okay, Sunny_.:: Sunstreaker startled slightly, surprised by how clear the special talk sounded.

::_I know_!:: He sent petulantly, once more surprised by how easy it had been to send it back.

Sideswipe positively beamed.

Sunstreaker wobbled more than his twin had, at first, but quickly caught the trick of it- it was like balancing upside down on your hands- once you actually did it, it was easy afterward. He moved slowly, though, enjoying the feeling of being free from the ground, before latching onto Skywarp's wing and pulling up.

"OUCH!" Skywarp said through the speakers. "Wings are sensitive!"

"Sorry, Sky." Sunny said, looking at his hands. "Didn't mean to."

"I know, I know. Now. Strap in. Normally I wouldn't care, but. Just do it." He waited until the twins acquiesced to his demand, figuring out the complex webbing that would keep them in their seats. It actually fit them, being that Skywarp's internal space was modeled after a human craft, and they really were not much larger than adult humans.

"Okay, guys. Copilot Sideswipe, Copilot Sunstreaker- am I green to go?"

The twins looked at each other blankly. "Uhhh..." Sides said.

"Maybe?" Sunny squeaked.

Skywarp snorted and powered his engines up, the roar making it difficult to hear until he shut the glass overhead.

"Hang on tight; this is gonna be a hell of a ride." Skywarp took off from the Nemesis tower, flying at a truly disgusting rate of speed already.

The twins shrieked in excitement and elation as they felt Skywarp lift into the air. It was amazing. They couldn't remember ever going this fast before! As soon as Skywarp evened out and had slowed down a bit, they sat back, breathless and giggling.

"Fun?" Skywarp asked, the smile evident in his voice.

"Slag yeah!" Sideswipe whooped. The twins cursed only with Sideswipe now, seeing as the elder mech let them.

"Hold on for a bit, we're going around...and around and around." With that, Skywarp executed a triple-loop, sending the twins upside down and back again. They giggled loudly, happier than they'd been in a very long time.

"Do it again!" Sunny squealed.

Skywarp just laughed and did a double loop and flew straight up, higher than they'd likely ever been.

"Oooh, feel dizzy, Sky!" Sides said, and Skywarp dropped down to a more reasonable altitude.

* * *

><p>_I spy with my little eye_./ Smokescreen said over the comm, teasing Bluestreak. They were on patrol together, somewhat far away from the Ark but this area had been /too/ quiet for quite some time.

/_Spy what? You don't _**have**_ eyes, you have optics. Only humans have_-/ Smokescreen interrupted.

/_Skywarp. Right above us. I suggest you shoot first, ask questions later- where he is, the other two usually aren't far behind_./

He didn't know how wrong he was.

Bluestreak and Smokescreen both transformed, sliding to a stop as Bluestreak unsubspaced his rifle and took aim in one smooth movement. A bit of time passed before he made a small frustrated noise and lowered his weapon. "He's too far out of range. Especially with all those loops he's doing. you know, I wonder why he's doing that, it doesn't look very healthy, but then again -"

"Powerglide's in the area, Prowl says." Smokescreen interjected. "Give me a few moments and we'll have backup... kinda."

Bluestreak, normally one of the kindest mechs, very carefully did not snort. "Okay I'll comm him or do you want to comm him and let him know he's got the chance to blast a Seeker out of the sky since obviously I can't get up there to do it for him, even though I am a far better shot, I wouldn't say it that way normally but I /am/ the highest ranked onboard-"

"Blue."

"Yes?"

"He's already up there." Smokescreen pointed Powerglide out to the other Praxian and they watched intently.

* * *

><p>"Frag, frag, frag, frag, frag." Skywarp cursed, his sensors pinging him times three. "We have company, guys."<p>

"Company? Nobody's here but us!" Sideswipe pointed out.

"On my tailfins, Siders- Autoscum." Skywarp said, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to talk abotu this with them.

"No! They'll hurt you!" Sideswipe said. "What can we do to help?"

"Just stay down and keep quiet- I'm gonna try to keep them off me." What Skywarp _didn't_ say is that their presence virtually guaranteed that he couldn't use his warp gate more than once- the power required to move three was just too much.

Powerglide came up fast, his lasers firing with uncommon precision. Skywarp wheeled in the air, causing his passengers to grip tightly to the arms of their chairs. Skywarp squealed over the speakers. "That's ME you're clawing, but...it's okay. Hold on little guys!"

He executed a dive maneuver that the flying mini should /not/ have been able to track, let alone follow...and Powerglide pulled through it, coming up on Skywarp's tail for a powerful, definitive missile strike directly into Skywarp's main engine assembly. Sparks flew from the boards near where Sunstreaker sat, and he screamed in fear, looking around for comfort.

"Sky! Sky! You okay? Talk to me, Sky! Skywarp! Starscream, help!" he cried, not thinking.

Skywarp couldn't even spare the few seconds needed to calm the little halfer; he was trying with all he was not to spiral down into a crash that could deactivate them all.

* * *

><p>"Got him!" Bluestreak crowed as he watched Skywarp go down completely, even if his flight seemed to be geared toward taking most of the impact himself, which was quite odd.<p>

Smokescreen's grin brightened, and he clapped the gunner on the shoulder before his helm tilted slightly to the side, indicating a mech recieving a comm. His faceplates looked distinctly ill as he reobserved the smoking trail that a triumphant looking Powerglide was looping around. It led to a small mountain range, ending about halfway up a mountain, most likely where Skywarp had ultimately crashed. "Did - uh... Did anybody bother to scan for more contacts?"

Bluestreak looked at Smokescreen, confused. "No, I didn't get any Decepticon contacts other than Skywarp's so that must mean that he was out on his own, which is really wierd now that I think about it, why?"

"Prowl had Teletraan scan for more contacts in case of a trap. There were two." At Bluestreak's confused look he continued, still looking decidedly ill. "Inside skywarp."

The implications hit Bluestreak like a ton of steel and he dropped his rifle like it burned him. "What are the chances that it was Frenzy and Rumble?"

"Don't know." Smokescreen said. "We need to find out, though." They both rushed to the crash site, where Powerglide was standing, looking triumphant.

"I got him! I got him! Fragging Seeker deserved it, did you see that /shot/-"

"Move aside, Powerglide." Bluestreak said in what had to be his shortest sentence ever. The minijet moved, and Blue walked over to the obviously injured, smoking heap of Seeker that lay insensate against a tree. He'd definitely hurt himself in the landing far more than one might expect, and Bluestreak felt vaguely ill at the implication. The glass covering his cockpit was cracked. Smokescreen overrode the safeties and it flew back with a hiss, revealing the inside- black smoke poured out, the scent of scorched wiring and burned rubbed very evident. Once everything cleared, Bluestreak began a soft litany of curses.

"What? What's in there?" Smokescreen demanded to know, even though he had a fair idea anyway.

"Twins-" Blue said, diving in to retrieve them.

Skywarp couldn't move, could barely think. He remembered the ground coming up at him far too quickly, and remembered his passengers above all else...and so he took the brunt of it, plowing nose-first into the ground, ultimately ending up against a gigantic tree. He /hurt/ fundamentally, and when he heard voices surround him, he felt true fear wash over him. "No!" he tried to say, but all that came from his speakers was static. He tried desperately to comm Starscream, _anyone_ that could help him, but his comm systems were just as slagged as the rest of him. Powerglide, that fragging minibot. He was going to tear his _wings_ off!

The twins were unconscious as Bluestreak lifted them out, one by one. Smokescreen eyed their forms with some confusion- they looked fundamentally different, and he wasn't sure why. He glared at Powerglide as he commed Ratchet for an emergency medical transport, and a security team to take Skywarp into custody. It felt wrong, somehow, to leave him here when he'd obviously tried to protect the twins in the crash.

"Ratchet's going to have our skidplates." Smokescreen's voice was filled with dread as he watched Bluestreak carefully hold the Twins against him, the awe and wonder on his face evident despite the worry that was there as well.

"Why do they look different?"

"I don't know Blue... I really don't, but those fragging Seeker's better not have done anything to them or so help me Primus...!"

Sunstreaker moved a little, then, in Bluestreak's embrace. "Nnn...kali?" His optics unshuttered for just an instant, revealing brilliant gold.

Smokescreen's own optics narrowed at that. "They changed their frames, that's what they did. Probably encoded them with Decepticon-"

He was interrupted by the sound of loud shuttle engines from above- Skyfire was landing, and as soon as he did, Ratchet and First Aid emerged, both carrying medkits. Ratchet took one look at the scene and glared at the three who were on patrol.

"Who did this?"

Bluestreak and Powerglide both raised their hands sheepishly.

He called for the security team to secure Skywarp afre he made sure that the Seeker was stable for transport, and then took both twins away from Bluestreak as the gunner just stared, wide-opticked.

"That Seeker was protecting them, you know." He said vehemently.

Ratchet stared at the gunner seriously before saying, "I know." And turning to enter Skyfire, unconscious twins in his arms.

* * *

><p>Ratchet stood in his office, arms folded in front of him. He held a datapad in hand that displayed the readings of the three mechs currently laid out on the berths, one of whom was in solitary lockdown. Powerglide stood before him with a shocked expression on his face.<p>

"The frag. Look in that room over there and tell me what you see." Ratchet's finger stabbed toward the unconscious twins.

"Uhm. I think those are Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, but I'm not su-"

"By Primus, you just might have a working processor yet! Yes, that's exactly who they are. And what was known about them, before you decided to pull your little stunt?" Pale blue flashed against white plating; Ratchet was _torqued_, and it was obvious.

"Um...the Seekers had taken them?" he guessed. He'd done _good!_ He shot down one of the fragging _command trine_ and captured him even! What the frag was the medic on about?

"Yes. The Seekers had taken them... AFTER Wheeljack's fragging machine when and REVERSED THEIR AGING PROCESS!"

Powerglide flinched as the medic's voice rose. This did not bode good things.

"The three of you-" He wheeled around to stab a finger at both Bluestreak and Smokescreen who flinched as well. "Should have checked for more than one life source! For one, if it had been a trap all three of you would have been slagged anyways! Second, THIS could have been avoided! You're lucky they came out with minimal damage or I would have personally scrapped you!"

"Are they okay, Ratchet?" Bluestreak asked quietly, not daring to say anything more.

Ratchet glared. "They should be. BUT. All three of you should learn to PAY ATTENTION before you shoot. Yes, we're at war. Yes, Skywarp is normally not one to frag around with. However, Seekers do not harm younglings unless they are very, very depraved. If you have investigated, and noted two other spark signatures, _especially _unfamiliar ones, then you may not have put the twins in danger at all."

The two Praxians looked ashamed; Powerglide was still mystified. "But I brought down a _Seeker_." he insisted.

Ratchet ignored that. "That same Seeker is requiring several joor of MY time to keep him sound, because I have questions that he needs to answer, and I'm not getting them as long as he's a heap of scrap metal on a berth."

Two alarms went off simultaneously and Ratchet's helm whipped to look through the window of his office into the medical bay. He stood, leaving the other mechs to trail after him. Sideswipe was stirring, shifting restlessly on the oversized berth while Sunstreaker was doing the same on the one right next to his brother.

"Sunny...?" The little voice was enough to melt even Ratchet's spark (though he'd never admit it) and golden optics flickered on, unfocused before shuttering several times.

Sunstreaker flickered his optics. The first thing he noticed is that it smelled funny in here, kind of like Hook's medbay, and he didn't want to be in Hook's medbay again. It was way too bright, though, and Sideswipe was all the way over there on the other berth. Star never put them on different berths; but maybe now that they were bigger, it was different. His vision focused a little more, and he saw Sideswipe on a very weird-looking medical berth...not one they were used to at all. His optics flew open, wide in apprehension and a bit of fear.

"Sunny!" Sideswipe tried to sit up and he feel sick inside, like his tanks were going to roll everywhere. "Sky! Sky, where are you?" he called, looking around for the Seeker. He couldn't see him, and this was NOT the medbay he knew. He didn't know where he was, and there was Sunny over there...he rose shakily from his berth and fell, shaking his head. He stood up and slowly made his way to his twin's side, where he held on, twin pairs of bright gold staring at everything around. He could feel Sunstreaker's panic over their link, and it was scaring him. It was scaring him badly.

As one their optics fell on the other mechs in the room and Sunstreaker was quick to roll off the berth (with a smaller distance to the ground than their own berths) so he could stand with his brother, faceplates screwed up into an angry snarl. "Go away slagfaces!" He shouted, startling the three mechs. How could such language come out of a _youngling_?

"Sunstreaker, I know you're confused right now..." Ratchet began.

"How do you know my name?" The golden halfer demanded, glaring at the white and red medic with suspicious narrowed optics. "Where's Sky! You _took_ him, give him back!"

Ratchet really wasn't sure what to say to that. The twins looked... Different was the best way to explain it. They'd been upgraded, and by all appearances, upgraded by someone who knew what they were doing as well. He wondered idly who had _that_ particular skill on the Nemesis before taking several small steps forward, deciding to try and approach the _less_ volatile of the two.

"Sideswipe?" he asked softly.

"Fragoff, groundpounder." Sides had heard Skywarp say this numerous times, and it was obvious that the red and white mech was no flier. Powerglide heard this and let out a choked laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. "I want Sky! Where's my Sky? Frag you all, give him back!"

Sunstreaker's golden optics seemed to shine, though whether it was in bravado or near-tears Ratchet had no idea. "I'll slag you if you hurt him. Fraggin' Autobots are MEAN!" And that's when Sunny broke down in front of the entire medbay, shaking against his twin.

All four mechs reeled back, sure as frag not expecting _that_!

Sideswipe held his twin to his side, glaring through his own gathering tears. "Give him back, give him back, give him back!" He shouted.

"The frag is going on in here?"

Everyone turned to the door as Air Raid walked in, covering his audials, Fireflight following meekly behind him, seemingly using his brother as a shield. His left wing flap was twisted up, indicating he was the reason for their sudden appearance.

Sideswipe looked sharply at Air Raid. He looked...like a Seeker. Maybe he could trust /him/. So did the other one, but...not really? He jumped off the berth and grabbed Air Raid's hand.

"Gotta help us, they're keepin' Sky from us, and where's Star? Sunny _needs_ him, Sunny's gonna freak real soon, an' Star can help him...you're a Seeker right? You can help?" Sideswipe's optics searched Air Raid's face for any sign of aid.

"I - wha?" Air Raid stared wide optic'd down at the little mechling, completely thrown for a loop. "Look, kid, I don't know who you're talkin' about, but I sure as slag ain't no See-"

"BABIES!"

Air Raid's helm whipped incredulously to stare at his brother as Fireflight scooped up the small Sideswipe who kinda-but-not-really looked like Sideswipe.

Sunstreaker saw this weird red and white jet who was NOT Starscream picking Sideswipe up and he wailed even LOUDER, his little form shaking so much that the berth he leaned against also shook. His intakes were harsh, and he was trying to speak...but nothing intelligible came out.

Ratchet knew he had to intervene. "Flight. FLIGHT. Good intentions and all, but you're _scaring _ him. Give him to me." Ratchet held out his arms for Sideswipe, and the Phantom looked dumbfounded, but lifted the mechling over. Sideswipe kicked his legs out, thrashing.

"_NONONONONONONONO_!"

In the isolation room, guarded by Beachcomber, Skywarp briefly came online. He could hear crying...little ones crying, and he tried to get off the berth. he couldn't move. His motor relays would not listen, and he blearily looked up...and saw Autobot orange. He felt something unfamiliar in his spark, and that feeling as despair. His little ones were in the hands of the enemy, and so was he.

* * *

><p><strong>FEED US REVIEWS! WE DEMANDS THEM! Not really, but they would be nice :}<strong>


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry this took a while but we had to re-find the muses but let me tell you, once we did it just FLOWED. So we hope you enjoy. We're particularly proud of this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: We own nothing though we wish it to be so.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

* * *

><p>Sideswipe sat, huddled on the berth with Sunstreaker clinging to him while trying to make it look like he wasn't clinging. The loud white and red mech who they had decided was too loud to be nice was working on the machines and running tests. Sunstreaker was glaring with all his impressive rage for one so small while Sideswipe fretted about experiments and where Sky was. It had taken enough time to get them calmed though far from cooperative and Ratchet had realized belatedly that swinging a wrench around would not work on sparklings the same way it did on adults.<p>

In fact they reacted with more fear than if they _had_ been adults. What had this war done that he was out of touch with the side of him that (rather embarrassingly) doted on children?

"Everything looks up to specs." He sighed, tilting his helm to stare at another screen. "And you look fed enough..."

Astral Singer

"Not hungry now, but I want Skywarp!" Sideswipe said for the twentieth time. He didn't like medbay, he didn't like the smell or the looks or anything else...and he certainly didn't like these Autobots who'd, just as they'd been told they would by Starscream, had hurt Skywarp and kept him away.

Sunstreaker just glared. He didn't _have_ to talk if he didn't want to, and he really didn't want to. He was worried about what was going to happen to them in this place. The jets here weren't like his Star or even like Thunder and Sky. They talked funny and it was all too weird. They acted like they _knew_ him and Sides.

"And I've told you we can't do that." Ratchet resisted the urge to snap. "He is undergoing an extreme medical procedure due to his injuries." The look of confusion on Sideswipe's face should _not_ be that endearing. "It means we're fixing his hurts."

"You were the ones who hurt 'im!" Sunstreaker burst, getting a worried look from his brother. "Well you won't get me! I can take you!"

Ratchet sighed. Sighed _twice,_ in fact. But he'd get his aft in a sling if he so much as let the twins peek in on the Seeker. "It's the rules." he said finally, finishing the scans. They were remarkably well taken care of, and the alterations in the forms were skillfully done, even to Ratchet's practiced optic. So he asked.

"Who did your upgrades?"

Sunstreaker once more clammed up, little golden optics glowering. Sideswipe's own became rather hard as well and he crossed his arms in front of his chassis, refusing to answer. Ratchet fought the impulse to slam his head against the console.

"Sparklings who are uncooperative with their doctors don't get candy."

"We don't want your slaggin' candy and you're not our doctor." Sunstreaker grumbled.

"Yeah! the quack is!" Sideswipe inputted. "Can't lie to us!"

Ratchet stared at them. "Pardon? Who's your doctor?"

"The quack." Sideswipe looked as if he were talking to someone stupid and even said it slowly. Ratchet decided taking offense would be counterproductive.

"Does he have a big hook on his back?"

Sideswipe nodded firmly. Sunstreaker scowled. And then _both_ of them were staring like he'd lost it when he suddenly doubled over in uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Sideswipe pointed at Ratchet and said one word, solemnly. "Glitched." Sunstreaker nodded firmly.

First Aid took that opportunity to approach the laughing medic and handed him a datapad outlining the treatment plan for Skywarp. They'd gotten him back into root mode, but he wasn't transforming anytime soon. Comms, weapons, propulsion, and even his warp generator were offline, for which Ratchet was somewhat grateful. He wouldn't be escaping.

First Aid looked at the twins with compassionate optics. "I can take them, if you like?"

Sunstreaker stared at the other red and white mech who seemed much more... Like Breakdown in their limited world experience. Timid, shy... They would tear him apart. As he'd heard Star say. Sideswipe seemed to be thinking the same thing and they smiled almost simultaneously, the grins gone as soon as the two doctors turned to look at them.

"For now, no. I want to keep them overnight, just in case of something hidden." Ratchet said, managing to gather himself, though the occasional snicker still made it's way through. _Quack_! That was one for the insult books.

Well, slag, he was going to ruin all their fun. Sunny glared at Ratchet and even Sideswipe frowned. "Don't wanna stay _here_!" he whined, looking with piteous optics at First Aid. "Please let us go out of here, we won't be trouble, cross our sparks an' hope to die!" Sunny elbowed Sides sharply at that statement; they _weren't _supposed to say that.

"No." Ratchet snapped. "You'll be staying here with a room all for yourself."

In other words, he had to talk with command and see what they were even going to do with them.

Sideswipe's optics narrowed into small golden slits...and he just nodded. They'd gotten good at getting around, and this afthead thought they were little bitty sparklings. Fine. They'd show _him_. Where rooms were lay vents, and vents meant freedom.

Sunstreaker continued to glare and he even folded his arms across his chest.

Sideswipe remembered something then, and he thought very hard at his twin.

::_Thrusters_.::

Sunstreaker shot a sharp look at his brother. They didn't know how to use them yet. He shook his helm firmly. And then glanced up at the CMO clearing his throat.

"Alright boys, we're moving to a private room." He said gesturing. Sunstreaker suddenly seemed to quail, keeping a tight hold of Sideswipe's hand. Sideswipe did the same, and they got down at the mech's insistence and followed him to a small room in the corner of the medical bay. "Here you go boys. We'll have better accommodations for you tomorrow."

"Frag you." Sideswipe said defiantly. He was gonna lock them in, he just knew it. And Skywarp was somewhere around here, he'd heard the others talking about it. He was locked in too...and Sky wasn't bad at all! This was totally unfair. Star was right. Autobots were mean.

Sunny kept close to his twin, not trusting the situation one bit. He'd rather have gone with the quieter medic. And Sides' suggestion about thrusters was stupid. They'd end up going splat, and not even Star to rescue them.

When the door closed, he turned to his twin. "This sucks."

Joors later, Sideswipe had checked over every nanometer of the vent, and the thing was _NOT_ budging no matter how hard he pulled on it. He cursed and kicked, pried and pulled, but nothing would move it. And the door was locked tightly.

"Sunny, I don't want to be here." he said somewhat unnecessarily.

"No slag, Sides?" Sunstreaker nearly spat. He felt uneasy and scared, but he didn't want to _say_ it. Plus, he was hungry. They'd forgotten to bring them energon.

Sideswipe rattled at the vent again with a small whine before trudging back to the berth and climbing up on it. He sat forlornly beside Sunstreaker, feeling the press of the unfamiliar walls that hurt his optics to look at, they were so orange. So he looked at the ground. Not much better at all.

"I wanna go home." He muttered, hands in his lap and shoulders slumping.

Thundercracker would be helping them put their learning things away right now. Skywarp should be winding them up even as Starscream and TC yelled at him to knock it off or they'd never sleep. Sideswipe would be giggling right along with Sunny while Skywarp whined and got lectured at.

Then Star should be putting them down on their own little berths, making sure to hug them so Sideswipe didn't start complaining that he couldn't sleep with out a proper goodnight.

Sunstreaker's own shoulders slumped. "Me too..."

* * *

><p>"I really don't think locking them in a room is going to do much good." Perceptor said absently, sitting across the meeting table from Ratchet, helm tilted to the side.<p>

"You haven't spent all day with them." Ratchet grumbled. "I thought there was nothing worse that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker after a few cycles of inaction. I was wrong."

"Aw, from what I saw, they were pretty slagging cute." Wheeljack chuckled.

"Until Sunstreaker freaked out and Sideswipe quickly followed."

Wheeljack said gently, "They're sparklings. What do you expect?"

"They're still the twins, and that much is painfully obvious!" Ratchet snapped, tired and out of sorts. "And I still have to go fix that purple glitch in isolation room four!"

"Not today." Perceptor said. "He likely will not online until tomorrow at the earliest, anyway. You should take this time to recharge-"

"No time." Ratchet said, physically waving the idea away. "We're gonna have Seekers at our door _very_ soon, looking for their younglings."

"'Their' younglings?" Wheeljack quetioned.

"Yes, _their._ Can't you see it?" Ratchet snapped. "Those Seekers upgraded them with the same care they'd do their own little ones. They've been _cared for_, taught, treated right. Those Decepticons didn't torture or mistreat the twins after they jerked them off that battlefield. They're _raising_ them, and the fool who steps between a Seeker and his creation is a bigger fool than I."

"Well they can't return." Prowl said shortly. "Returning them to Decepticon servos is out of the question."

"Then we're going to have to keep two younglings under lockdown unless and until Wheeljack can reverse the process, because they're _going_ to come." Ratchet said. Sometimes Prowl's logic was a pain in his aft, and this sort of thing...logic was no good for it at all.

"Is there any way we can protect them?" Optimus asked.

"Already on it, sir." Prowl replied, looking down at his datapad, steadfast.

Red Alert sat back, grumbling about sparkling proofing and extra security and other protocol risks and Jazz looked rather relaxed. "Very well." Optimus sighed. "Next item, we need caretakers for them."

"Prahm, Ah volunteer - "

"Someone not in command, Ironhide." Optimus sighed. "As much as I wish to let you, and I know you would do well, I cannot spare any of my officers."

"If you choose someone with Seeker coding, it may be helpful." ratchet grumped. This entire situation was starting to stink.

Wheeljack spoke up. "Skyfire. He's big enough to ensure that they won't come to harm, he has a bit of that coding you speak of...and a history with Starscream."

Prime nodded, surprised at Wheeljack's recommendation but more than willing to go along with it. "Make it so. Inform him of his duties after the meeting. Perhaps he will obviate the need to keep them confined."

"Let's not ask for the impossible." Prowl muttered, revealing that dry sarcasm he very rarely showed.

"So. Who wants ta see how the twins react ta Skyfire?" Wheeljack said cheerfully.

"Do NOT overwhelm them!" Ratchet growled threateningly.

"I'll take 'em." Jazz offered. Not even Prowl could deny him that; they'd be as safe as safe could be with the Ops mech nearby, Seekers or no Seekers.

"Not tonight." Ratchet said firmly. "I'm keeping them under medical observation because of that crash. They were unconscious when we found them and I want to make sure nothing was damaged permanently."

"Fine." Jazz said, as cheerful as ever. "Say first thing after daycycle starts? I'll let Skyfire know tonight."

"Fine." Rathcet agreed, grudingly. "Let them sleep first. And AFTER I slagging check them over in the morning.!"

* * *

><p>The twins finally had fallen into a restless recharge, and medbay was quiet.<p>

Too quiet, Skywarp decided. He couldn't rest. He knew they were close; he'd overheard them yelling earlier, and overheard Ratchet trying to talk sense into them. He'd given several silent cheers at their tenacity, but the fact remained: he was a prisoner and so were they, technically speaking.

He couldn't move off the berth; Pit, he couldn't even comm anyone. He had a call button that he could activate if he slapped his hand against it hard enough, but that wouldn't do any good except to possibly get him another dose of that painkiller...not a terrible idea, but he wanted to be alert.

That didn't stop the walls from closing in and his claustrophobia from flaring up. He fought the whimper and focused on his intakes for several kliks before turning inward and assessing his own damage.

Comms: Useless. Legs: Slagged to pit as well as his wings. He invented deeply again. Teleportation: Well yeah, he'd heard them talking about disabling it temporarily. Even the Autobots couldn't do it permanently. Only Starscream could. Okay, Chrono: Working fine, slaggit. He didn't need nor want to know the time.

Final status: One fragged Seeker. Skywarp inhaled sharply, trying very hard not to think about this /tiny aft/ room. It wasn't completely dark, which was a good thing, but not being able to move made it so much worse. He tried to speak and a series of squeals and clicks came out instead. Fine, no speech either. His vocalizer must have been a casualty as well, or that damned medic had offlined it preemptively, remembering the last time he'd been here.

Not for the first time he wished that they'd renewed their trine bond recently. Then he /might/ have been able to get some kind of awareness or message through, if he was lucky. They hadn't done that in vorns, though, so the faint awareness was just that- faint, and hardly even there.

Skywarp thought sourly that if he ever got back, he'd mention it to them.

* * *

><p>"They should have been back by now." Starscream said, pacing in their quarters. There had been no sign of Skywarp and he was joors late. Thundercracker looked up from his datapad and held up a hand. "Star, he will be home soon."<p>

"What if there was trouble?"

"Then he would have commed." TC said logically.

"What if he couldn't?" Star shot back.

"You worry too much."

Starscream knew that that was the truth. He still couldn't let it go. "And you don't worry enough."

Thundercracker sighed. Truth be told, he didn't want to think about it or the worry in his own systems would threaten to take hold. Skywarp wasn't stupid. He could take care of them. Would take care of them. They were their young. "He will be fine. Give it one more joor. You know how Skywarp is."

Starscream scowled and resumed his pacing.

"That's what I'm worried about, TC." Starscream said, finally sitting down. "What if something happened and they're out there laying deactivated on this slagging mudball? They're not yet used to their new systems!"

Thundercracker stood and did something that he hadn't done in a very, very long time. He knelt next to the chair Starscream sat in and took his hands in his own, looking deep into overbright, worry-strained crimson optics. "Star. Look at me."

Starscream did, surprise clear on his face.

"Even if something's wrong, Skywarp will take care of them unless he can't. I'll go out myself to see if I can find him, all right? You stay here in case they return." He squezed his trineleader's hands before letting them go, and it was then that Starscream knew that something had fundamentally changed between the trine since the twins had come.

They'd made them into a family again.

Star decided he'd be damned to Unicron's deepest pit before he lost this again. "Th-thank you, TC." he said, and the blue Seeker glanced in surprise at those rare words. He nodded once, and then left in search of their other brother and their younglings...the rest of their family.

Thundercracker moved down the hall, and to the command center, hoping to catch one of the other seekers at the monitor, maybe Soundwave. He needed the tower raised and fast. Thankfully, at this time of the cycle, they were relatively clear and there was nobody to get in his way. He wasn't sure Motormaster or Brawl would take too kindly to a wing in the chassis because he was in a hurry.

"Very well, Prime."

The bitter voice of the Decepticon Warlord caught his attention and he frowned, wings twitching. What was Megatron doing talking to Prime at this joor? He inched closer to the command room doors, which were cycled open.

"What is it you wish to negotiate?"

Prime's voice, unflappable and solid, drifted back to him. "The terms and trade for the return of your Command Trine member, Megatron"

Thundercracker's energon ran cold.

He froze, just listening.

"_Which_ command trine member, Prime?" Megatron was confused. None of the three were scheduled on patrol for...he checked...another cycle at least, and as far as he knew, they were holed up in their quarters with those sparklings.

Thundercracker couldn't see the Prime's face, but he could hear the surprise in his tone. "You can't even keep track of your own forces, Megatron?"

"Lord Megatron: Skywarp is absent from the Nemesis." Soundwave supplied almost silently.

"What do you want for the errant teleporter?" Megatron said, almost boredly. He'd slag the glitch for getting himself captured on a slagging pleasure trip.

"Use of the space bridge un-harassed and a guaranteed ceasefire for the next week."

Megatron snapped back, "He isn't worth that. You can keep him if that's what you require." He knew damned well that holding on to Skywarp was a lot harder than capturing him.

"I see. Then we will use the disabled teleport unit and study it. It would certainly help us either way." Optimus said steadfastly.  
>Megatron made a distinct sound and Thundercracker could see the snarl on his faceplates.<p>

"Fine. I want him delivered within the cycle." He knew he couldn't afford to have them study Skywarp too closely, for several reasons. So he did an about-face. Soundwave's visor flashed, and even Thundercracker thought that he may have given in too easily...but if Skywarp was captured, where were the twins?! His coding forced him to walk in and he faced the screen, much to the surprise of his commander.

"Prime." Thundercracker said softly. "Where are my younglings?"

Behind him, the Warlord scowled dangerously in response to the audacity of the Seeker. Optimus studied Thundercracker for several moments before he supplied, in a sincere tone, but one also brooking no compromise for the moment, "They are safe and healthy. I will not tell you more than that."

The protective instinct that welled up in the blue Seeker was enough to make him actually dismiss his Lord Commander, and he literally snarled at the screen. "You /will/ give my sparklings back to me, or so help me Primus I will take that ship apart to get to them." Garnet optics flared with more anger than Thundercracker had felt in a very long time, and even when Megatron snarled an order at him, he actually waved it away.

Optimus Prime then got to see a bit of how Megatron handled discipline on the Nemesis when Thundercracker went flying face first into the bulkhead, courtesy of the Decepticon Lord's fist. He pressed another button on his chair, not breaking off the conversation with Prime.

"Starscream, if you do not remove your glitch of a trinemate from my presence, you'll be needing a new one."

To say Optimus was sickened by it was an underestimation. But he was not surprised. He'd heard the rumors. Starscream was to the bridge quickly, face in a perfect snarl only faltering when he saw Thundercracker clutching his ruined nasal ridge with energon dribbling over his fingers where he held them against his face and the ruined bulkhead behind him.

"Remove him from my sight, Starscream." Megatron said dangerously and though Starscream wanted to scream at him and put a laser through his core, his more pressing priority was Thundercracker.

Starscream said not a single word, only leading his trinemate off the bridge. He didn't take him to medbay, either; he took him back to their quarters, where he prepared his first aid kit. His lines froze when Thundercracker was finally able to speak, though.

"Autobots. Twins. They have them. And Warp." he said through the energon that had been choking him.

The tool in Star's hand clattered to the floor. "We have to go. We have to go _now_."

Thundercracker shook his helm, snatching a cloth from the kit and holding it to his leaking plating. As much as he'd hate to credit anything to Megatron, the punch to the face did help him clear his mind.

"We need a plan. We can't just fly in there. We'll be shot down and then where will they be?"

"We need to _go_. That tin-plated fragger will deal for Warp, but not for the twins..." Starscream said. He looked at Thundercracker, and the look on his trineleader's face was... One he thought he'd never see. Starscream could almost hear Sunstreaker sobbing his little spark out, and he...just couldn't. He'd promised to protect them.

"Star. Please." TC said. "I want to go just as badly as you do...but we can't risk getting deactivated. We need to figure something out."

Just then, a knock came on the door.

Starscream stood, wings flared and ready to defend his wounded trinemate for the first time in a long time. He answered the door, reeling back in surprise when Soundwave's masked face greeted him.

"What do you want?" He sneered.

"Soundwave: Has a plan."

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><p>Morning came and it wasn't the suddenly the very bright lights that woke the twins up. No, it was the grinding of hungry tanks as Sunstreaker shot up, startled by the feeling and sound.<p>

Sideswipe, jostled by his brother, shot up as well, rubbing at his optics groggily as Sunstreaker cursed at the very rude and sudden awakening. The yellow halfling growled and glared at the figure standing at the door, the red and white loundmmouth behind him. The mech was smaller, his demeanor more relaxed and his black and white frame leaned against the door with an ease that the twins felt wasn't entirely truthful. A blue visor gleamed cheerily even as a low whistle left the white faceplates.

"Frag, Ratch. He swears almost as fluently as you."

"Oh shove it, glitch."

Sideswipe giggled, but quickliy caught himself when Sunstreaker shot a glare at him. Glitch pushed off the doorframe and stepped into the room, followed closely by Loudmouth.

"How're you boys doin' this mornin'?" Glitch asked.

"Shove it up yer exhaust and turn it sideways." Sunstreaker said immediately. "Nothin' to say to anybot who doesn't feed us."

"Yeah, frag off!" Sideswipe chimed in. "Autobots are mean, starving younglings! Star an' TC an' Warp are gonna frag you up so hard yer afts'll be where yer heads used to be!"

The blue visored mech gave Ratchet a Look. "Ya didn't _feed_ 'em? Primus, Ratch, it's not like we don't have plenty and it's not like ya ta ferget-"

Ratchet racked his processor. Surely he'd told someone to bring them fuel last nightcycle, and then this morning...

Well Loudmouth had a name now. Ratch. What a weird name.

Jazz sighed dramatically and then turned to the younglings. "Ah apologize few mah friend here. He's a little scatter processored sometimes." Ratchet scowled behind him. "Well, as it just so happens, ah happen to have two youngling sized rations on me! Good ol' Jazz always thinks ahead."

And now Glitch had a name also. Jazz was much better than Ratchet in both twins' opinions. Still, they eyed him warily as he produced two cubes from out of subspace. "They ain't poisoned. Trust meh. I'll even try it mahself if ya want."

"Do it." Sunny said, scowling. He'd had bad energon before, and even though it looked good, they'd fallen for that trick before. It was how they'd gotten Sunny into that house... Sunstreaker shivered slightly, and it wasn't because of the temperature. Sideswipe grabbed his hand, sensing the tension in his twin's frame and spark, watching.

Jazz merely shrugged and took a big sip from each cube in turn, placing them both in full view of the twins as they waited silently. After a few moments when Jazz hadn't keeled over or began purging, Sideswipe grabbed the cubes and gave one to his brother, drinking it almost greedily. They'd gotten used to regular rations.

"How are you feeling?" the one called Ratch asked the twins, and they only stared at him.

"Where's Sky?" Sideswipe asked in a challenging tone.

Ratchet sighed as he moved to check the monitors that he'd secretly installed while Jazz dealed with the dual glares of doom. Though they looked more like pouts on such cherub round looking faces.

"Ya don't gotta worry 'bout 'im. He's gotta get fixed. He was hurt worse thant you two were. An' he's still sleepin'."

"I don't believe you." Sunstreaker said stubbornly, hard to take seriously with an energon moustache of sorts.

"We wanna see him. Not gonna do slag for you until we do." Sideswipe said, speaking for them both.

Jazz was inclined to allow it; after all, Skywarp was deep in medical stasis at the moment, being prepped for surgery. Ratchet gave a quick shake of his head, though, and sent a comm for good measure.

/_Prowl will annhiliate you if you do, Jazz_./

/_Oh, Ratch, ya gotta let __**meh**__ handle 'im./ Jazz returned with his signature grin. /Ah'll tell 'im you know nothin'_./

/_But-_/

Jazz looked at the twins, then put one finger to his lips. "Just for a minute, an' ya can't say Ah let ya." His cheerful tone was firm, and both twins could tell he meant business. After giving Ratchet another wary look, Sunny nodded, followed by his older twin. Jazz then led the twins to the door of Isolation Four to look upon their friend and surrogate creator.

"See. Told ya he was alright." There was a blanket over the seeker's slagged frame aside from his face which was mostly scratched up. It still made the twins flinch a bit. "He'll be fine." Jazz assured, patting them both on the shoulder, though Sunstreaker stiffened.

The main door opened again, admitting a large framed mech. That neither twin noticed until he spoke. Right behind them.

"Oh my... you really weren't kidding."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker whirled around... and then looked up. _Way_ up. Until startled golden optics met rather delighted deep blue ones. "Hello." The towering flier said gently.

Sideswipe moved instinctively back toward Skywarp, even though Warp couldn't do a thing to help him. "Primus." he squeaked. Sunstreaker just stared...he was bigger than even those Arena mechs he remembered!

"Hey, 'Fire. You here for..." Jazz jerked a thumb at the twins.

"Yes...yes, I believe I am." Skyfire said, his tones gentle. "Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, I would like it if you came with me."

"No!" the twins said in unison.

Skyfire didn't look irritated like Ratch had over their instant rejection. Instead he knelt lower so he wasn't looming over the tiny (by comparison) mechlings. "There is nothing you can do here. Skywarp will be fine, but he needs to heal first. I'm sure you boys are bored, yes?"

"No." Sunny said stubbornly, just as Sideswipe cried "Primus, yes!"

Sunstreaker gave his twin an aggrieved look and the crimson halfer just shrugged; hey, it was _true_!

"I want to stay with Warp, and I want to go home." Sunstreaker said, and it was then that he looked his true age, like a scared youngling instead of a miniature tough-bot.

"You cannot stay here with him, Sunstreaker. He needs repair, and you would be in the way, possibly delaying it, if you stayed." Skyfire explained, and that made sense to the twins.

"Yer just gonna keep him away from up after though!" Sideswipe declared, upset. Warp was his favorite! He didn't want the 'Bots to make him dead! "You'll make him dead an' I won't see him again!"

Skyfire shook his helm gently. "We're not. I promise."

The twins stared at him dubiously until Jazz chimed in. "Tell ya what. Ya can come back every cycle ta see him so ya know we aren't liars." Ratchet could be heard grumbling in the background about mechlings going to be underfoot, but he went largely ignored. "An' in exchange ya gotta behave as best ya can, 'kay? We won't keep ya from seein' 'im, but the better ya behave, the longer ya can stay." He held out a servo with a wide, warm smile. "Deal?"

Sunstreaker didn't want to touch him...and he also didn't trust him. Golden optics narrowed at Jazz just as Sideswipe gave the visored Ops mech a significant look, almost as if trying to read his intentions from his frame. Finally, he nodded slowly. What choice did they have, really? And if they _pretended_ to behave, and listen and watch, maybe they could escape and take Warp with them. Then Star would be so proud, that they'd gotten away from the Bots and saved Skywarp!

Sideswipe began to smile, and Skyfire tilted his helm. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

Sunstreaker caught the emotions through their bond and even though he thought it wouldn't work, he agreed- they had little choice, and it was better than being locked in that room.

"Deal." They said in unison, both hands gripping the one and Jazz's answering smile was brilliant.

"Thanks, kiddos. That really helps a bunch." He glanced up at his big friend. "Skyfire, ya wanna show our newest boys the ship?"

Skyfire chuckled. "I don't see why my project can't wait a little longer."

"Project?" Sideswipe said doubtfully. That sounded an awful lot like lessons, and frag if he was gonna do 'em _here._

"Yes." Skyfire said patiently. "I am a scientist and work in the labs."

"Like Star!" Sunstreaker cut in, unable to stop himself. He loved going to Starscream's lab on the Nemesis; there were so many interesting things there.

And that was when Skyfire's deep blue optics looked...almost sad, Sideswipe decided. "Yes. Like Starscream." Skyfire said, looking at the wall for a moment. "I knew him a very long time ago."

The Twins' attention was suddenly caught and Sideswipe patted his leg. "Really? Can ya tell us stories?"

Skyfire shook himself from his sudden reverie and looked again at the sparklings. He smiled. "How about we see the ship first. Then we can share stories later."

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><p><strong>How bout tossin' us some reviews, huh? :D<strong>


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